This paper presents a theoretical model to show that in sectors where workers invest in firm specific knowledge employment protection legislation can raise employment, productivity and welfare. The model also predicts a U-shaped relation between firing costs and unemployment. Finally, it gives a...

Recent growth theories have utilized the Ben-Porath (1967) mechanism according to which prolonging the period in which individuals may receive returns on their investment spurs investment in human capital and cause growth. An important, though sometime implicit implication of these models is...

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This paper endeavours to explain the vast differences in the size of capital markets across countries, by drawing together theories emphasising cultural values, dysfunctional institutions, or impediments to trade as obstacles to financial development. To account for endogeneity, instrumental...

The current Chinese trade expansion brings benefit to many parties, both outside and inside the Chinese Mainland. It also poses huge challenges to others, in foreign countries, also in China. The event is important for its own sake, but also what it implies when rapid growth happens to countries...

We develop a theory to explain the transition from stagnation to modern growth. We focus on the forces that shaped the evolution of total factor productivity in agriculture and manufacturing across history. More specifically, we build a multisector model of endogenous technical-change and...

South Africa has achieved a lot since 1994, when ANC-led government took office. The Performance of the economy since 1994, as measured by the growth rate, has been encouraging with an average growth rate of approximately 2.8% per annum. The inflation rate has been recently under control at...

Countries rich in natural resources constitute both growth losers and growth winners. We claim that the main reason for these diverging experiences is differences in the quality of institutions. More natural resources push aggregate income down, when institutions are grabber friendly, while more...

Using Australian manufacturing establishment data from 1993-94 and 1996-97, we study three possible sources of productivity gains from trade liberalisation: the exit of inefficient establishments, economies of scale from output expansion, and reduction in employment. We find weak evidence that...

This paper develops a new international monetary framework for analysing the domestic and international repercussions of China’s exchange rate policy in the context of its rapid development. This straightforward framework reveals that misalignment of the yuan against major currencies...