Trade liberalization and labor market adjustment in Brazil

Nina Pavcnik (), Andreas Blom (), Pinelopi Goldberg and Norbert Schady

No 2982, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: The authors study the impact of the 1988-94 trade liberalization in Brazil on wage distribution. They explore three main channels through which trade liberalization could have affected wage distribution: (1) increasing returns to skilled workers because of Hecksher-Ohlin adjustments to trade policy; (2) trade-induced skill-biased technological change; and (3) changes in industry wage premiums. The results suggest that trade reform inBrazil did contribute to the growing skill premium through skill-biased technological change, which was partially instigated by increased foreign competition. The authors also find that sector-specific returns to skill increased more in sectors with bigger tariff reductions. But they find little support for Hecksher-Ohlin type adjustments to trade reform. Overall, the effects of trade reform on wage inequality seem relatively small.

Keywords: Water and Industry; Municipal Financial Management; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Environmental Economics&Policies; Public Health Promotion; Municipal Financial Management; Health Monitoring&Evaluation; TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT; Environmental Economics&Policies; Water and Industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-03-31
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