Research Department Working Papers

The Research Department Working Papers are a series of research documents containing preliminary findings related to issues of the world of work. As such, these Working Papers are a work in progress and meant to stimulate debate and incite feedback. In that respect, readers are encouraged to submit their comments directly to the authors.

The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the International Labour Organization.

2018

  1. Research Department Working Paper n°30

    Are remittances good for labor markets in LICs, MICs and Fragile States?

    27 May 2018

    We present cross-country evidence on the impact of remittances on labor market outcomes. Remittances appear to have a strong impact on both labor supply and labor demand in recipient countries.

  2. Research Department Working Paper n°29

    The Future of Work: A Literature Review

    17 April 2018

    An enormous amount of literature has emerged over the last few years in the context of the “Future of Work”. Academics, think tanks and policy makers have fuelled rich discussions about how the future of work might look like and how we can shape it. Indeed, labour markets in developing and developed countries are likely to undergo major transformations in the next years and decades. However, despite a growing body of research in this area, there exists no universally accepted definition of what exactly the “Future of Work” encompasses and what the most relevant drivers are.

  3. Research Department Working Paper n°28

    The transition in play: Worldwide employment trends in the electricity sector

    17 April 2018

    This paper analyses the employment effects of electricity generation by different sources on a worldwide scale as observed since the year 2000.

  4. Research Department Working Paper n°27

    The gendered effects of air pollution on labour supply

    17 April 2018

    This paper draws on 20 years of systematic data collection on employment and air pollution to explore the link between air pollution and labour supply.

  5. Research Department Working Paper n°26

    Exporting, importing and wages in Africa: Evidence from matched employer-employee data

    17 April 2018

    This paper studies wages in exporting and importing firms of the manufacturing sector in Africa, using firm-level data and employer-employee-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys.

  6. Research Department Working Paper n°25

    The future of work in African agriculture: Trends and drivers of change

    04 April 2018

    This report synthesizes available evidence regarding how salient demographic and economic trends in sub-Saharan Africa are influencing the future of work in agriculture. It also identifies some of the major policy challenges that African governments are facing, which may influence future work in agriculture.

  7. Research Department Working Paper n°24

    Upgrading agricultural work: A comparative analysis of voluntary certification schemes

    13 March 2018

    This paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of five leading global agro-food certification schemes that cover labour rights and protection, including for small farmers, as an integral part of their certification scope.

2017

  1. Research Department Working Paper n°23

    Jobs, FDI and institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from firm-level data

    07 November 2017

    This paper uses data on foreign-owned and domestic firms in Sub-Saharan Africa and studies the differences in the quantity and quality of jobs that they offer, taking into account different characteristics of foreign-owned firms and analysing the role of country-level institutional factors.

  2. Research Department Working Paper n°22

    Uneven practices in voluntary labour commitments: An exploration of major listed companies through the VigeoEiris database

    06 November 2017

    Over recent decades, the emergence of new forms of private governance has been one of the most important features in global labour governance. At the moment, our understanding of private governance is however still fragmented and little is known about the degree to which major companies worldwide support these mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to provide a preliminary overview of voluntary labour commitments undertaken by major listed companies worldwide.

  3. Research Department Working Paper n°20

    Active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Evidence from a meta analysis

    26 September 2017

    This paper presents a systematic collection and assessment of impact evaluations of active labour market programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean