Exchange rates and employment: critical issues
by NGANDU, S., 2008Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
The analysis of exchange rates and employment has received scant attention in development economics. This is surprising, since there appears to be a number of well-defined transmission channels through which exchange rates impact on employment. In South Africa this is particularly important given the rand’s higher volatility relative to other emerging economies. The main focus…
read more >>The Economy-Wide Effects of Price-Reducing Reforms in Infrastructure Services in South Africa
by DAVIES, R. & VAN SEVENTER, D.E.N., 2006Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
Prices of infrastructure services in South Africa may be higher than in other countries because of imperfect competition, non-tariff barriers to trade, or inefficiencies in production. A static computerised general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to analyse the economy-wide effects of reducing telecommunications and transport prices by reforming each of these three factors. This modelling…
read more >>Exchange Rates, Growth, and Unemployment
by HAWKINS, P., 2006Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
There has been some debate on the impact of exchange rate volatility and levels in South Africa. This is a particular concern as South Africa needs to dramatically expand sustainable employment and at the same time raise value-added in its production of goods and services. These are not necessarily complementary objectives for a mineral-exporting economy….
read more >>Volatility of the Real Exchange Rate of the Rand: 1990-2004
by HODGE, D. , 2005Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
This paper forms part of the Human Sciences Research Council’s project on exchange rates and employment (MACRO006), which seeks to understand the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on employment in South Africa. It serves as a preliminary, qualitative study of the volatility of the rand. Hodge starts by explaining the nature of the foreign exchange…
read more >>The Effect of Exchange Rate Volatility on Trade and Employment: A Brief Review of the Literature
by HODGE, D., 2005Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
This paper forms part of the Human Sciences Research Council’s project on exchange rates and employment (MACRO006), which seeks to understand the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on employment in South Africa. The explanation of the factors determining the volatility of exchange rates is interesting, but from the policy perspective of this project, not an…
read more >>Mineral Prices and the Exchange Rate: What Does the Literature Say?
by NGANDU, S., 2005Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
This paper forms part of the Human Sciences Research Council’s project on exchange rates and employment (MACRO006), which seeks to understand the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on employment in South Africa. It reviews the literature on the relationship between commodity prices and the exchange rate, and its implications for labour-intensive export manufacturing. It focuses…
read more >>Exchange Rate and Employment Project: Overview
by NGANDU, S., 2006Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
Ngandu summarises the Human Sciences Research Council’s project on the relationship between the exchange rate and employment outcomes, and its possible policy implications. While there appears to be consensus that the currency is too volatile, little attention has been paid to what an employment-inducing exchange rate would be. The suite of papers in the exchange…
read more >>Exchange Rate and Employment: The Experience of Fast-Growing Economies
by NGANDU, S., 2005Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
This paper forms part of an Human Sciences Research Council project on exchange rates and employment, which seeks to understand the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on employment in South Africa. Ngandu examines the exchange rate policies of countries that achieved rapid, labour-absorbing growth. While exchange rates are only one instrument in an employment and…
read more >>When Might an Exchange Rate Depreciation Be Growth Inducing or Contractionary?
by NGANDU, S. & GEBRESELASIE, T., 2006Research Report, Employment Growth & Development Initiative, Human Sciences Research Council
This paper forms part of an Human Sciences Research Council project on exchange rates and employment, which seeks to understand the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on employment in South Africa. The South African government has the aim of accelerating the rate of economic growth and sustaining it at higher levels. It also aims to…
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