IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pdb/opaper/116.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO FULL EMPLOYMENT IN BANGLADESH Role of the Non-farm Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammed Muqtada

Abstract

The slow growth of employment in the modern manufacturing sector has raised scepticism on how far, and how quickly, Bangladesh economy could productively absorb its large pool of surplus labour, and attain full employment. Following Ranis and Stewart (1993), the present paper re-engages (in) and examines the potential role of rural non-farm activity (RNA) in wiping out rural unemployment and underemployment, as it did in the case of some East Asian countries. This paper explores the extent and pattern of RNA growth in Bangladesh, its impact on jobs and incomes, as well as on labour market formations. The study contends that changes in rural labour market are often not reflected as structural change due to the presence of informality within the three traditional sectors. It explores pathways to enhancing rural non-farm employment and assesses the prospects of reaching full employment. Finally, the study stresses the need for a comprehensive policy framework and coordinated strategy for a vigorous growth of rural non-farm enterprises, in order to increase the potential for higher productivity jobs, household incomes, and to enhance aggregate demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammed Muqtada, 2018. "ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO FULL EMPLOYMENT IN BANGLADESH Role of the Non-farm Sector," CPD Working Paper 116, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    • Handle: RePEc:pdb:opaper:116
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://cpd.org.bd/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Working-Paper-116-Alternative-Approaches-to-Full-Employment-in-Bangladesh.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mahmud , Wahiduddin, 1996. "Employment Patterns and Income Formation in Rural Bangladesh: The Role of Rural Non-farm Sector," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 24(3-4), pages 1-27, Sept-Dec.
    2. Ajit K. Ghose, 2017. "Informality and Development," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 60(1), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Ranis, Gustav & Stewart, Frances, 1993. "Rural nonagricultural activities in development : Theory and application," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 75-101, February.
    4. Hirschman, Albert O., 1973. "The changing tolerance for income inequality in the course of economic development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 1(12), pages 29-36, December.
    5. Adelman, Irma, 1984. "Beyond export-led growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 12(9), pages 937-949, September.
    6. Oshima, Harry T, 1986. "The Transition from an Agricultural to an Industrial Economy in East Asia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(4), pages 783-809, July.
    7. Adelman, Irma, 1984. "Beyond export-led growth," CUDARE Working Paper Series 309, University of California at Berkeley, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Policy.
    8. Shilpi,Forhad J. & Emran,Shahe & Shilpi,Forhad J. & Emran,Shahe, 2016. "Agricultural productivity and non-farm employment : evidence from Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7685, The World Bank.
    9. World Bank, 2013. "Bangladesh - Poverty Assessment : Assessing a Decade of Progress in Reducing Poverty, 2000-2010," World Bank Publications - Reports 16622, The World Bank Group.
    10. Giménez, Lea & Jolliffe , Dean & Sharif, Iffath, 2014. "Bangladesh, a Middle Income Country by 2021: What Will It Take in terms of Poverty Reduction?," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 37(1-2), pages 1-19, March-Jun.
    11. Hollis B. Chenery, 1953. "The Application of Investment Criteria," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 67(1), pages 76-96.
    12. Dani Rodrik, 1998. "Has Globalization Gone Too Far?," Challenge, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 81-94, March.
    13. Azizur Rahman Khan, 2015. "The Economy of Bangladesh," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-54974-7, December.
    14. Briones, Roehlano & Felipe, Jesus, 2013. "Agriculture and Structural Transformation in Developing Asia: Review and Outlook," ADB Economics Working Paper Series 363, Asian Development Bank.
    15. Albert O. Hirschman & Michael Rothschild, 1973. "The Changing Tolerance for Income Inequality in the Course of Economic DevelopmentWith A Mathematical Appendix," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 87(4), pages 544-566.
    16. Harry T. Oshima, 1988. "Full Employment Growth in Japan and Taiwan," Philippine Review of Economics, University of the Philippines School of Economics and Philippine Economic Society, vol. 25(1&2), pages 1-39, March and.
    17. Dani Rodrik, 2006. "Goodbye Washington Consensus, Hello Washington Confusion? A Review of the World Bank's Economic Growth in the 1990s: Learning from a Decade of Reform," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 973-987, December.
    18. Mahabub Hossain, 2004. "Rural Non-Farm Economy in Bangladesh: A View from Household Surveys," CPD Working Paper 40, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    19. World Bank, 2012. "Bangladesh - Towards Accelerated, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth : Opportunities and Challenges, Volume 1. Overview," World Bank Publications - Reports 12288, The World Bank Group.
    20. World Bank, 2012. "Bangladesh - Towards Accelerated, Inclusive and Sustainable Growth : Opportunities and Challenges, Volume 2. Main Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 12121, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:phd:pjdevt:jpd_1993_vol__xx_no__2-e is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Andersson, Martin & Rohne Till, Emelie, 2017. "Between the Engine and the Fifth Wheel: An Analytical Survey of the Shifting Roles of Agriculture in Development Theory," Lund Papers in Economic History 163, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    3. Fluhrer, Svenja & Kraehnert, Kati, 2022. "Sitting in the same boat: Subjective well-being and social comparison after an extreme weather event," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    4. Senik, Claudia, 2009. "Direct evidence on income comparisons and their welfare effects," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 408-424, October.
    5. Yamada, Katsunori & Sato, Masayuki, 2013. "Another avenue for anatomy of income comparisons: Evidence from hypothetical choice experiments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 35-57.
    6. Vincenzo Atella & Jay Coggins & Federico Perali, 2005. "Aversion to inequality in Italy and its determinants," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 2(2), pages 117-144, January.
    7. AndrewE. Clark & Claudia Senik, 2010. "Who Compares to Whom? The Anatomy of Income Comparisons in Europe," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 120(544), pages 573-594, May.
    8. Xiaogeng Xu & Satu Metsälampi & Michael Kirchler & Kaisa Kotakorpi & Peter Hans Matthews & Topi Miettinen, 2023. "Which income comparisons matter to people, and how? Evidence from a large field experiment," Working Papers 10, Finnish Centre of Excellence in Tax Systems Research.
    9. Hong, Yan-Zhen & Su, Yi-Ju & Chang, Hung-Hao, 2023. "Analyzing the relationship between income and life satisfaction of Forest farm households - a behavioral economics approach," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. Francesco Savoia & Ioannis Bournakis & Mona Said & Antonio Savoia, 2024. "Regional income inequality in Egypt: evolution and implications for Sustainable Development Goal 10," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 17-33, January.
    11. Fabio Sabatini & Francesco Sarracino, 2015. "Keeping up with the e-Joneses: Do online social networks raise social comparisons?," Papers 1507.08863, arXiv.org.
    12. Nancy Birdsall, 2008. "Income Distribution: Effects on Growth and Development," Chapters, in: Amitava Krishna Dutt & Jaime Ros (ed.), International Handbook of Development Economics, Volumes 1 & 2, volume 0, chapter 48, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Tatiana Karabchuk, 2016. "The subjective well-being of women in Europe: children, work and employment protection legislation," Mind & Society: Cognitive Studies in Economics and Social Sciences, Springer;Fondazione Rosselli, vol. 15(2), pages 219-245, November.
    14. Elvire Guillaud, 2013. "Preferences for redistribution: an empirical analysis over 33 countries," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 11(1), pages 57-78, March.
    15. Alpaslan Akay & Gökhan Karabulut & Peter Martinsson, 2013. "The effect of religiosity and religious festivals on positional concerns -- an experimental investigation of Ramadan," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(27), pages 3914-3921, September.
    16. Roland Bénabou & Jean Tirole, 2006. "Belief in a Just World and Redistributive Politics," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(2), pages 699-746.
    17. Kaiser, Caspar, 2020. "People do not adapt. New analyses of the dynamic effects of own and reference income on life satisfaction," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 494-513.
    18. Arndt, Channing & Schiller, Rico & Tarp, Finn, 2001. "Grain transport and rural credit in Mozambique: solving the space-time problem," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 59-70, June.
    19. Jo Thori Lind & Dominic Rohner, 2017. "Knowledge is Power: A Theory of Information, Income and Welfare Spending," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 84(336), pages 611-646, October.
    20. Irma Adelman, 2017. "Confessioni di un'inguaribile romantica (Confessions of an incurable romantic)," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 70(279), pages 239-263.
    21. Jiawen Huang & Yitong Fang, 2021. "Income Inequality, Neighbourhood Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being in China: Exploration of a Moderating Effect," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pdb:opaper:116. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Avra Bhattacharjee (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cpdddbd.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.