Looks at the extent of and policy responses to the problem of labour shortage in the economies of Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Outlines the development of the construction sector in the period 1980-2001, e.g. the employment in collective-owned vs. state-owned enterprises, the influx of rural workers, role of labour contractors, and the impact of using pre-fabricated concrete and interior fittings such as doors, flooring...

The paper presented three related issues. A first objective was to shed light on some of the facts of the employment impacts of trade and investments abroad, including highly controversial themes as off-shoring of the production of goods and services. A second objective was to debate the options...