No More Solitude? Workers' Conditions and Rights in Latin America During the Great Recession

Latin American countries deregulated much less than the United States and Europe during the Great Recession. Perhaps the country with the most the most deregulation was Mexico, where some categories of employment contracts now no longer require cause for termination and where back pay awards have been capped. However, the region buttressed labor inspection. Many countries modernized their labor courts. Collective bargaining rights were expanded in at least Mexico and Uruguay. In about a decade, the middle class grew by 50% in the region, from 100 million people to 150 million people. The economies also maintained a general growth trend despite the crisis. Growth with equity prevailed against the grain of the Washington Consensus and neoliberal formulas. We need more time to conclude that the region has reached a new dawn, but the picture remains positive