Trade Liberalization and Employment

This paper reviews both multi-country and country studies on the impact of trade liberalization on growth and employment in developing countries. These studies reveal sharply contrasting effects of trade liberalization on employment, suggesting that country-specific and contingent factors are important. In particular, differences in how trade liberalization is implemented are particularly important. In order to be successful, trade liberalization needs to be embedded within a coherent set of macroeconomic, structural and social policies.