Impact of Trade on Employment

dc.contributor.authorArunatilake, Nisha
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-11T06:07:20Z
dc.date.available2023-07-11T06:07:20Z
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.sponsorshipThis paper examines the impact of trade on employment in Sri Lanka, in the context of global policy trends. To provide the context for the study the paper first describes the economic and trade policy reforms that took place in the country and their impacts on trade since 1977, but mainly focusing on the impacts since 1990. Trade has not influence unemployment rates much in the country, but it has created new jobs and shifted source of employment away from agriculture towards industries and services. The main sectors that benefitted were the light manufacturing sector, especially the textiles, garments and leather industries. The main beneficiaries of these employment opportunities were young low-skilled females. Although EPZs were instrumental in facilitating employment creation, the quality of the employment created is of not good. The limited available data show that real wages have kept pace with the export sector performance. Available studies shows that the global economic down turn that started in 2008 has resulted in job losses and a slight increase in unemployment. But, the effect of job losses on unemployment is marginal, as much of the redundant labour is absorbed by the informal sector agriculture and wholesale and retail sector.en_US
dc.identifier.shortcitationIPS, 2018en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://econspace.ips.lk/handle/789/4455
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectLabour market; trade; export sector; Sri Lankaen_US
dc.titleImpact of Trade on Employmenten_US
dc.typeOtheren_US
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