Explores how finance and business development services for micro and small enterprises can be linked without jeopardizing the effectiveness of each service. Reviews examples of linked provision, examines the main costs and benefits for the actors involved and proposes a six-part typology of...

Explores the issue of productivity in micro, small and medium-size enterprises and examines its relation to employment and poverty. Presents 11 case studies which illustrate how the ILO's small enterprise support programme (IFP/SEED) confronts the productivity challenge by focusing on...

Discusses small enterprise development and private sector development as key methods for alleviating poverty.

The paper provides a review of the literature that links housing, housing finance, and economic development. The housing sector may support poverty reduction and inclusive growth in two general ways. First, housing construction contributes to economic output, creates employment, and generates a...

The paper analyzes the link between firm characteristics and labor market regulation in five Asian economies—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. Labor market policies and labor standards do not only affects workers, but also influence firms’ investment and...

Policies and programs designed to protect workers may, paradoxically, have a negative impact on labor as a whole by increasing unemployment. A key question is which policies have this effect. Using a 3-year panel of 90 countries, the study finds that the unemployment rate is affected by the...