This paper proposes and analyzes one possible reason why some countries get stuck in the middle-income trap: the role played by the changing structure of the economy (from low-productivity activities into high-productivity activities), the types of products exported (not all products have the...

This paper provides a working definition of what the middle-income trap is. It classifies 124 countries that have consistent data for 1950-2010. First, the paper defines four income groups of gross domestic product per capita in 1990 purchasing power parity dollars: low-income below $2,000; lower...

This paper provides a working definition of what the middle-income trap is. We start by defining four income groups of GDP per capita in 1990 PPP dollars: low-income below $2,000; lower-middle-income between $2,000 and $7,250; upper-middle-income between $7,250 and $11,750; and high-income above $11,750....

China's emergence as a great economic power has induced an epochal shift in patterns of world trade. Simultaneously, it has challenged much of the received empirical wisdom about how labor markets adjust to trade shocks. Alongside the heralded consumer benefits of expanded trade are substantial...

This paper tests the hypothesis that an increase in US trade with countries with weak effectiveness in the protection of intellectual property (IP) has expanded the threat of competitive imitation of US firms, and has contributed to the skill deepening of the 1980s. We draw on Thoenig and...

Pronounced disparities in income and economic opportunities exist between the coastal and the inland regions of China. This paper explores the proposition that regional disparities in China are related intimately to the structure of exports and foreign direct investment, which results in limited...

This paper investigates the reasons behind this rise in inequality in the United States during the early 80's by evaluating the impact of imports and technological change on the wage bill and employment shares of skilled workers in the USA. Using highly disaggregated data, which allow us to...