Towards employment-intensive growth in South Africa / editor: Anthony Black.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hoeven, Rolph van der, author.

Fourie, Frederick C. v. N., author.

Bhorat, Haroon, author.

Mayet, Natasha, author.

Tregenna, Fiona, author.

Pellicer, Miquel, author.

Ranchhod, Vimal, author.

Wang, Chunyu, author.

Borras, Saturnino M., 1965- author.

Hunsberger, Carol, author.

Neves, David, author.

Du Toit, Andries, 1965- author.

Conradie, Beatrice I. (Beatrice Isabel), author.

Gerwel, Heinrich, author.

Mlatsheni, Cecil, author.

Burns, Justine, author.

Pauw, Karl, author.

Edwards, Lawrence (Professor of economics), author.

Philip, Kate, author.

Hasson, Reviva, author.

Nattrass, Nicoli, author.

Seekings, Jeremy, author.

Morris, Mike, 1949- author.

Levy, Brian, 1954- author.

Contributor:

Black, Anthony, 1956- editor, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

South Africa--Economic conditions.

South Africa.

Economic conditions.

Unemployment--South Africa.

Unemployment.

Poverty--South Africa.

Poverty.

Economic development--South Africa.

Economic development.

Economic history.

Physical Description:

xxii, 375 pages : illustrations, charts ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Cape Town : UCT Press, 2016.

Summary:

Since the great triumph of South Africa's democratic transition, there have been many achievements; but there have also been many disappointments. Without doubt, the greatest failing has been the lack of progress in addressing poverty and inequality. The main culprit has, in turn, been massive and growing unemployment. With an official unemployment rate of 25%, South Africa is a complete outlier among developed and developing countries. High unemployment underpins extreme poverty and inequality and is a major contributor to social dislocation. Unemployed human resources on this scale also constitute a major drag on growth. In a country with substantial resources and a government which claims to be serious about addressing the issue, this lack of progress is not only troubling but puzzling. Much more rapid growth is clearly essential, but is it enough? This book argues that growth has to be more employment intensive. If we optimistically assume an annual growth rate going forward of, say, 4%, it will make a big difference whether employment grows at 1%, 2% or 3%. A key message of the book is that specific attention must be paid to raising the employment intensity of growth. The volume brings together 25 leading economists and other social scientists from South Africa and abroad. They present a penetrating analysis of the unemployment problem, as well as proposals to deal with it. Their contributions provide an overview of employment issues, internationally and domestically, and address the impact of the structure of the economy on unemployment. Particular attention is paid to rural communities and the manufacturing sector, as well as to specific policies such as wage subsidies and public-employment programmes. Book jacket.

Contents:

Contributors

Acronyms and abbreviations

List of figures and tables

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Part I: Overview. Introduction: Employment-intensive growth / Anthony Black ; Employment-centred policies in an international context / Rolph van der Hoeven ; The South African unemployment debate: A basis for consistent policy on employment? / Frederick C v N Fourie

Part II: Employment and the structure of the economy. Employment outcomes and earnings in post-apartheid South Africa / Haroon Bhorat and Natasha Mayet ; Sectoral dimensions of employment intensity / Fiona Tregenna ; Inequality traps and human-capital accumulation in South Africa / Miquel Pellicer and Vimal Ranchhod

Part III: The rural sector. Contemporary agrarian transformation and rural development: scale land investments and the question of labour / Wang Chunyu, Saturnino M Borras Jr and Carol Hunsberger ; The penumbra of employment: Impoverished rural livelihoods in South Africa / David Neves and Andries Du Toit ; Is there a case for a greater support for agriculture? / Anthony Black, Beatrice Conradie and Heinrich Gerwel

Part IV: Policies for employment. International experience in assisting youth to find jobs and lessons for South Africa / Cecil Mlatsheni ; Wage subsidies and employment creation in South Africa / Justine Burns, Karl Pauw and Lawrence Edwards ; Public employment and inclusive growth: Unlocking the transformative power of labour / Kate Philip

Part V: Employment and the manufacturing sector. Capital-intensive industrialisation, comparative advantage and industrial policy / Anthony Black and Reviva Hasson ; Institutions, wage differentiation and the structure of employment in South Africa / Nicoli Nattrass andjeremy Seekings ; The limits of cooperation in a divided society: of South Africa's garment and textile industry / Mike Morris and Brian Levy ; Conclusion / Anthony Black

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781775820079

1775820076

OCLC:

922081696

Publisher Number:

99976627758