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Two Policies to Alleviate Unemployment in South Africa

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  • James Levinsohn

Abstract

This paper suggests two policies to alleviate unemployment in South Africa— a targeted wage subsidy coupled with ease of dismissal for subsidized workers and immigration reform.

Suggested Citation

  • James Levinsohn, 2008. "Two Policies to Alleviate Unemployment in South Africa," CID Working Papers 166, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:166
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    File URL: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/cid/files/publications/faculty-working-papers/166.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abhijit Banerjee & Sebastian Galiani & Jim Levinsohn & Zoë McLaren & Ingrid Woolard, 2008. "Why has unemployment risen in the New South Africa?1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 16(4), pages 715-740, October.
    2. Michael Kremer, 1993. "The O-Ring Theory of Economic Development," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(3), pages 551-575.
    3. Dani Rodrik, 2008. "Understanding South Africa's economic puzzles," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 16(4), pages 769-797, October.
    4. Kristin F. Butcher & Cecilia Elena Rouse, 2001. "Wage Effects of Unions and Industrial Councils in South Africa," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(2), pages 349-374, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Farah Hani & Miguel Angel Santos, 2021. "Diagnosing Human Capital as a Binding Constraint to Growth: Tests, Symptoms and Prescriptions," Growth Lab Working Papers 168, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    2. Chux Gervase Iwu & Saphetha Gwija & Robertson Tengeh & Chris Cupido & Roger B Mason, 2016. "The Necessity for Education and Training within the Survivalist Retail Entrepreneurship Sector," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 8(2), pages 56-64.
    3. Christopher Loewald & Nic Spearman Andreas Wrgtter, 2023. "Less sacrifice from collective to competitive price coordination in the South African economy," Working Papers 11049, South African Reserve Bank.
    4. Neil A. Rankin & Gareth Roberts, 2011. "Youth Unemployment, Firm Size And Reservation Wages In South Africa," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 79(2), pages 128-145, June.
    5. Seán M. Muller, 2021. "Evidence for a YETI? A Cautionary Tale from South Africa's Youth Employment Tax Incentive," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(6), pages 1301-1342, November.
    6. Levinsohn, James & Pugatch, Todd, 2014. "Prospective analysis of a wage subsidy for Cape Town youth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 169-183.
    7. Rahul Anand & Siddharth Kothari & Naresh Kumar, 2016. "South Africa: Labor Market Dynamics and Inequality," IMF Working Papers 2016/137, International Monetary Fund.
    8. Derek Yu, 2012. "Youths in the South African labour market since the transition: A study of changes between 1995 and 2011," Working Papers 18/2012, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    9. Haroon Bhorat & Robert Hill & Safia Khan & Kezia Lilenstein & Ben Stanwix, 2020. "The Employment Tax Incentive Scheme in South Africa: An Impact Assessment," Working Papers 202007, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    10. Burns, Justine & Edwards, Lawrence & Pauw, Karl, 2010. "Wage subsidies to combat unemployment and poverty," IFPRI discussion papers 969, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Stewart Ngandu & Carolyn Chisadza, 2018. "Employer characteristics and youth employment outcomes in the formal sector in South Africa: Assessment using administrative tax data," WIDER Working Paper Series 82, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    12. Frederick C.v.N. Fourie, 2011. "The South African unemployment debate: three worlds, three discourses?," SALDRU Working Papers 63, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    13. Bojosi Morule & Konstantin Makrelov, 2019. "The effectiveness of the Employment Tax Incentive August 2019," Occasional Bulletin of Economic Notes 9481, South African Reserve Bank.
    14. Stewart Ngandu & Carolyn Chisadza, 2018. "Employer characteristics and youth employment outcomes in the formal sector in South Africa: Assessment using administrative tax data," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-82, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Wage Subsidy; Unemployment; South Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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