Discussion paper

DP5515 Growth and Labour Markets in Developing Countries

In middle-income countries, the informal sector often accounts for a substantial fraction of urban employment. We develop a general equilibrium model with matching frictions in the urban labour market, the possibility of selfemployment in the informal sector, and scope for rural-urban migration. We investigate the effects of different types of growth on wages and the informal sector, and the extent to which labour market institutions can influence aggregate productivity. We quantify these effects by calibrating the model to data for Mexico, a country with a sizeable informal sector and significant labour market rigidities.

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Citation

Satchi, M and J Temple (2006), ‘DP5515 Growth and Labour Markets in Developing Countries‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 5515. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp5515