Economic Class and Labour Market Segregation: Poor and Middle-Class Workers in Developing Asia and the Pacific

Phu Huynh () and Steven Kapsos ()
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Phu Huynh: International Labour Organization
Steven Kapsos: International Labour Organization

Chapter Chapter 14 in Poverty Reduction Policies and Practices in Developing Asia, 2015, pp 257-279 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Using an absolute definition of poverty and economic classes, this paper presents trends and estimates of the poor, near-poor and middle-class working populationWorking population in developing Asia and the Pacific. It finds that since 1991, working povertyWorking poverty has fallen remarkably, while middle-class jobs now account for nearly two-fifths of all employment in the region (671 million middle-class workersMiddle-class workers ). However, a sizeable share of workers (around 28 % or 497 million) still lives just above the poverty line and remains highly vulnerable to falling into poverty. This paper also applies a class-based framework for assessing inequality in the labour market, with a special focus on Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Viet Nam. It provides empirical evidence that economic participation is inversely related to affluence, while educational attainment and access to better quality jobs both increase with higher economic class status. In addition, it presents sex- and age-disaggregated analysis to highlight particular gaps for poor women and youth, and the measures that can help strengthen their position in the labour market.

Keywords: Working poverty; Middle class; Labour markets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:esichp:978-981-287-420-7_14

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-287-420-7_14

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