The Labour Market and Economic Development of Taiwan

The debate on whether high standards of labour market legislation affect economic growth and the rate of employment is topical and important. The contributors to this book address three main issues: how Taiwan's labour market was able to work so well prior to 1996 maintaining full employment for the last 40 years, regardless of the rapid change of industrial structure in the 1980s what factors can be attributed to the rapid deterioration of Taiwan's labour market performance since 1996 the measures adopted by the Taiwan government in tackling the recent high unemployment rate, how effective these policies are and what lessons scholars and public policy makers in other countries can learn from Taiwan's experience. An integrated labour market model (a revision of the Harris-Todaro dualistic labour market model) is presented which can be used to analyze labour market operation in other developing countries. The effectiveness of various policies adopted by the Taiwanese government in tackling high unemployment rates are examined and the findings shed light on public policies in other developing and newly industrialized countries. The Labour Market and Economic Development of Taiwan will appeal to scholars of Asian studies, public policy, economic development and labour economists.