On the Political Economy of Labor Market and Social Reforms in Latin America

Latin America is characterized by extreme and persistent social inequalities, exclusive welfare regimes and structural heterogeneity of the economy and the labor markets. In the context of the "Left Turn" in Latin America since the beginning of the 21st century, thanks to economic windfalls and policy changes the main socio-economic indicators have improved substantially. However main challenges like the formalization of informal labor, the de-coupling of formal labor and access to social security as well as the improvement of access of marginalized social groups to the formal labor market remain key issues for the policy agenda towards development and decent work in Latin America. Whereas the current Neo-Extractivist Development Model in the region allowed major distributions towards disadvantaged social groups, it might obstruct central structural transformations including redistributive policies, productivity gains and the diversification of the economy.

The project will investigate the political and structural obstacles to the universalization of labor standards within the context of Latin American labor markets. It will explore the possibilities for transforming Latin American labor markets and universalizing standards of decent work by institutionalizing them as social rights.

The project will help to identify obstacles in the implementation of a Decent Work Agenda in Latin America, as well as analyze the conditions under which the emergence of broad reform coalitions is made more likely.