New projects on global trade and employment – for results in 2010

Meanwhile, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and International Advisory Council have selected new projects focused on trade and employment to be supported by funds from the Foundation. These projects will deliver initial results in 2010. Though they are still in the planning stages, the following are brief descriptions of these projects. Follow this newsletter, and the ICCRF website, for further information about progress on these projects.

Peterson Institute for International Economics – project to evaluate trade and employment policy responses of the recession which began in 2007-08.

Description:

Focus on the countries most severely affected by the 2008 recession, namely the nations (members of the G7) which experienced the largest decline in global trade, the greatest worsening of labour markets, and the biggest deterioration of government fiscal positions. Describe and critically evaluate the trade and employment policy responses in major economies, with a focus on fiscal costs, targeted labour market groups, and impacts on employment.

Policies to be evaluated include: o Trade Policies: examine the effects of “Buy country X” provisions, surge in anti-dumping actions, o Employment Policies: analyze the scope and impact of employment policies used; assess whether more successful employment policies have been associated with less frequent resort to discriminatory and protectionist trade measures.

Project 2: World Trade Organization (WTO) – International Labour Organization (ILO) joint project on “Making globalization socially sustainable”.

This project is a continuation of work supported by the Foundation in 2009, which enabled the WTO and ILO research teams to organize an expert “scoping” workshop on the links between trade and employment. This new project focuses on the priority issues identified by experts at this workshop. Further details on the workshop are available in the Research section of the Foundation website.

Description:

There is a shared sense that globalization is a powerful engine that has already contributed to lifting many out of poverty and that, if properly harnessed, could further promote growth and development to the benefit of all. For many years, however, concerns have been raised regarding certain effects of globalization on jobs, wages and job insecurity. In this context, a number of observers have come to question the sustainability of globalization from a social point of view. Calls for a more inclusive globalization have become more frequent, but only a few concrete proposals have been put forward. The papers prepared by leading researchers will analyze the various channels through which globalization affects jobs and wages and examine how trade and employment policies could contribute to making globalization socially sustainable.

Topics covered in the expert papers will include:

Chapter 1: Globalization as a driver of job creation
Chapter 2: Job destruction during the economic and financial crisis
Chapter 3: Recovery after the crisis
Chapter 4: Globalization and economic volatility
Chapter 5: Globalization and perceived job insecurity
Chapter 6: Social protection for those vulnerable to shocks
Chapter 7: Evidence on the evolution of within country inequality over the past century
Chapter 8: Redistribution policies in a globalized world.
Chapter 9: Skill policies to make globalization more inclusive