The last twenty years have seen a rise of inequalities and a slowdown of growth in the US and Europe. It is common wisdom to interpret the rise of inequalities as the result of a skill-biased labor demand shift. While there is a strong evidence that such a shift has happened, this overlooks the...

This paper documents and analyses the predominance of informal employment in Africa and shows that lack of demand for labour rather than worker characteristics is the main reason for pervasive underemployment. Integration into the global economy and exports of labour-intensive products are vital...