Globalization and wage inequality in Indonesia : a CGE analysis

Date

2001

Contributor

Advisor

Department

Instructor

Depositor

Speaker

Researcher

Consultant

Interviewer

Narrator

Transcriber

Annotator

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Honolulu: East-West Center

Volume

Number/Issue

Starting Page

Ending Page

Alternative Title

Abstract

A multi-region computable general equilibrium model is developed in this study to examine Indonesia's trade regime and its labor markets. This model enables the labor market impacts of shocks to trade policy, the capital stock, and technology to be examined individually as well as collectively. The results suggest that the dominant factor in affecting wage inequality in Indonesia is total factor productivity growth. This strong role of productivity gains is distinctive, considering the prevailing view that East Asia's strong growth was driven primarily by capital accumulation. The model is also used to examine possible policy measures to reduce growth-induced wage inequality, including a return to some trade protection and the use of domestic taxes and subsidies. All are found to be costly to the economy as a whole and most to unskilled workers. The last piece of analysis addresses the Asian financial crisis and its effects on Indonesian labor markets. The effects of contractionary shocks prove the opposite of the growth-related shocks of the previous decade. All workers are made worse off, the unskilled less so. Raising the elasticity of skilled labor supply through education, training, and migration is seen as the best approach to addressing the inevitable wage inequality increase that will accompany Indonesia's eventual recovery.

Description

For more about the East-West Center, see http://www.eastwestcenter.org/

Keywords

Globalization, Income distribution - Indonesia, Wages and labor productivity - Indonesia, Labor market - Indonesia

Citation

Extent

17, [21] pages

Format

Geographic Location

Time Period

Related To

Related To (URI)

Table of Contents

Rights

Rights Holder

Local Contexts

Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.