Development Asia

A publication of the Asian Development Bank

No. 4 August 2009

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SPECIAL REPORT: Labor and Employment Edition •

A Long, Hard Journey Back to Job Growth in Asia
The profound effects of the global economic crisis on employment underline the need for substantive labor market reforms.
A Neighborhood in Depression
A small town in Indonesia dependent on the garment trade struggles to survive as international orders continue to decline.
Asia’s Faulty Safety Net: Millions of Workers Pushed Into Informal Employment
When no unemployment benefits are available, becoming a roadside vendor, pedicab driver, or day laborer has to suffice.
Keeping Cross-Border Cash Flowing
Job cuts and pay cuts overseas threaten remittance lifelines.
Out of Work and Back Into Poverty: Asia's Women Hit Hard by Recession
Women workers predominate in export industries hardest hit by the recession. Generally the first to be laid off, they bear the brunt of the current economic crisis.
Angry Young Men
Studies show a strong correlation between large numbers of jobless young men and the high potential for violence and political instability.
Job Loss Deja Vu
Twelve years after the 1997 financial crisis, Asian countries are experiencing another surge in unemployment, but they are better prepared this time.

FEATURES •

Money for Something
Conditional cash transfer programs enable poor families to keep their children healthy and in school, and help lift the next generation from poverty.
Not Just for the Privileged
Private schools for the poor offer quality education at low cost.
The Food Revolution
Worried about food security issues, countries with money to spend look to buy farmland in developing countries.

DEPARTMENTS •

Roundup

From the Field

India’s Toilet King

Asia by Numbers

Asia's Job Crunch

On the Record

On the Record

Must-Read Books

Feeling the Pinch of the Global Economic Downturn

While economists and government officials assess the impact of the global economic downturn on Asia, millions of laid-off workers and recent college graduates face the real guesswork of figuring out how they are going to make a living. Indeed, lines of job seekers are lengthening across Asia, as the global crisis causes export markets to shrink and the high-flying, export-driven economies that feed them to skid.

Ann Quon
Publisher
Asian Development Bank

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About Us

Development Asia features development issues important to the Asia and Pacific region. It is published twice a year by the Asian Development Bank and Pressgroup Holdings Europe S.A. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank.

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