Manufacturing and Jobs in South Asia: Strategy for Sustainable Economic Growth

Description

This book analyzes the structural factors that underlie the persistent mass poverty and extreme inequality in South Asian countries. It highlights the fact that the supposed trade-off between output growth and job creation is a false dilemma. Growth can create jobs, and jobs can drive growth, mutually reinforcing one another. Increased employment and better jobs would mitigate the problems arising from a widening inequality gap. The book argues that policies focused on employment generation, mostly through industrialization, are the way forward in terms of providing livelihoods, sustaining growth and reducing inequality. The book is divided into two main parts. Part A explores cases in selected countries in South Asia in detail, primarily focusing on the opportunities and challenges of job creation in the manufacturing sector, as well as related issues, including constraints on manufacturing-sector growth in South Asia, exports and trade linkages, participation in value chains and the role of investment. In turn, Part B addresses a number of aspects that can promote a deeper understanding of strategies for industrialization and employment creation in the South Asian context, including regional cooperation, skill development, and industrial competitiveness. Gathering contributions from some of the region’s top minds, this book is of interest to scholars, researchers, policymakers and industry analysts alike. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction: Challenges Confronting a Rising South Asia—Industry and Employment (Sachin Chaturvedi, Sabyasachi Saha)....Pages 1-14 Job Creation in the Manufacturing Sector as a Strategy for Sustainable Economic Growth in Bangladesh (Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Faijan Bin Halim)....Pages 15-50 Role of Manufacturing in Employment Generation in Nepal: Experiences and Lessons for the Future (Dilli Raj Khanal, Posh Raj Pandey)....Pages 51-84 Manufacturing Trade and Employment Linkages in India (S. K. Mohanty, Sabyasachi Saha)....Pages 85-110 Export-Employment Conundrum in India’s Manufacturing Under Globalization: In Search of a Strategic Approach (K. J. Joseph, Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi)....Pages 111-152 Manufacturing Sector and Job Creation in Pakistan (Sajid Amin Javed, Abid Qaiyum Suleri)....Pages 153-170 Export-Oriented Manufacturing: A Viable Engine of Economic Growth and Labor Generation for Sri Lanka (Visvanathan Subramaniam)....Pages 171-195 Economic Growth and Employment in South Asia (Ajit K. Ghose)....Pages 197-211 Competitiveness, Skill Formation and Industrialization: The South Asian Experience (Lakhwinder Singh)....Pages 213-227 Conclusion: Manufacturing and Employment in South Asia (Sachin Chaturvedi, Sabyasachi Saha)....Pages 229-239