Economic Mobility In Vietnam In The 1990s

Abstract: Vietnam's high economic growth in the 1990s led to sharp reductions in poverty, yet over the same time period inequality increased. This increased inequality may be less worrisome if Vietnamese households experience a high degree of income mobility over time. This is because high mobility implies that the long-run distribution of income is more equally distributed than the short-run distribution, since some individuals or households are poor in some years, while others are poor in other years. Glewwe and Nguyen examine economic mobility in Vietnam using recent household survey panel data. The problem of measurement error in the income variable, which exaggerates the degree of economic mobility, is directly addressed. Correcting for measurement error dramatically changes the results. At least one half of measured mobility is because of measurement error. This paper"a product of Macroeconomics and Growth, Development Research Group"is part of a larger effort in the group to study household welfare and poverty reduction in Vietnam. Paul Glewwe may be contacted at pglewwe@@dept.agecon.umn.edu.

"Vietnam's gains in poverty reduction between 1992 and 1998 were striking, and the country's impressive growth has been fairly broad-based. Households that have benefited most are well-educated, urban, white-collar households, while agricultural workers, ethnic minorities, and those residing in poorer regions have progressed least"--Cover.

With the adoption of new market-oriented policies, Vietnam has transformed itself from one of the world's poorest countries during the 1980s, into an economy with one of the highest growth rates during the 1990s. Using macroeconomic and household survey data, this publication examines a range of issues including: the causes of Vietnam's economic growth and future prospects; the impact on household welfare and poverty levels, school enrolment, child health and other socioeconomic outcomes; and the nature of poverty in Vietnam and the effectiveness of government policies for poverty reduction, drawing lessons for Vietnam and for other low-income developing countries.

This book addresses poverty and well-being, equity, and efficiency in selected African countries. The chapters focus on three main topics: studies in the measurement and analysis of well-being and vulnerability to poverty, women's empowerment, and the dynamics and determinants of income and efficiency among smallholders. The chapters in the first section examine poverty, well-being, and vulnerability to poverty, as well as social exclusion, with a focus on households in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. They highlight the need to consider multidimensional measures of well-being and vulnerability to poverty, the need to address the distribution of vulnerability across different segments of the population, as well as the importance of developing public policies aimed at poverty reduction and promoting the well-being of the poor. The next section deals with issues related to women’s empowerment, including a multidimensional case study of women’s empowerment in Ghana and women’s access to microfinance services in Ethiopia. The final section focuses on dynamics and determinants of income and efficiency among farm households in Ethiopia and Uganda. Using a variety of methodologies, this volume provides a multifaceted approach to studying poverty and well-being in a diverse range of locations. As such, it of use to undergraduate and graduate students studying African economics or economics of poverty and well-being, and will be appealing to public policymakers and international aid agencies.

Viet Nam's dramatic transition and growth in the 1990s have been attributed to a series of reforms, known as "doi moi," which began in the late 1980s. Economic growth of nearly 8% yearly benefited the poor and reduced poverty from 61% in 1993 to 37% in 1998. The proportionate increases in the incomes of the poorest quintile were appreciably larger than those of the top 20 or 40% of the population. This result is at variance with typical findings for other countries, which indicate that welfare gains from growth are smallest for the lowest quintile and rise with income group. The results for Viet Nam suggest that the faster the growth rate, the lesser becomes the role of distributive factors that directly influence the poor's well-being. A print on demand report.

With the adoption of new market-oriented policies, Vietnam has transformed itself from one of the world's poorest countries during the 1980s, into an economy with one of the highest growth rates during the 1990s. Using macroeconomic and household survey data, this publication examines a range of issues including: the causes of Vietnam's economic growth and future prospects; the impact on household welfare and poverty levels, school enrolment, child health and other socioeconomic outcomes; and the nature of poverty in Vietnam and the effectiveness of government policies for poverty reduction, drawing lessons for Vietnam and for other low-income developing countries.

Abstract: Hoekman analyzes what actions could be taken in the context of the World Trade Organization's Doha negotiations to assist countries in reaping benefits from deeper trade integration. He discusses the policy agenda that confronts many developing countries and identifies a number of focal points that could be used both as targets and as benchmarks to increase the likelihood that WTO negotiations will support development. To achieve these targets, Hoekman proposes a number of negotiating modalities for both goods and services-related market access issues, as well as rule-making in regulatory areas. Throughout the analysis, the author refers to the work of J. Michael Finger, whose numerous writings in this area have not only greatly influenced the thinking of policymakers and researchers on the interaction between trade policy, economic development, and the GATT/WTO trading system, but also provides a model for how to pursue effective policy research. This paper--a product of Trade, Development Research Group--is part of a larger effort in the group to analyze the development aspects of WTO rules. The author may be contacted at [email protected].