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Social Science > Poverty and Homelessness

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 10 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Employment; Economic theory x
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Cover Selected Issues Papers
Options to Strengthen the Social Safety Net in Japan: Japan
Zhiyong An
and
Kohei Asao
Japan’s unemployment rate remains relatively low compared to other OECD countries. However, Japan’s poverty rate among the working-age population is one of the higher ones among OECD countries. The public assistance program in Japan does not provide adequate income support for the working poor and creates inherent work disincentives. In this context, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) warrants consideration to strengthen the social safety net and relieve poverty of the working poor in Japan. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical and practical issues of EITC, aiming to support its potential introduction in Japan.
Keywords:
Social safety net; working poor; inequality; public assistance; in-work benefits; Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); Japan; program in Japan; public assistance program; Japan's poverty rate; Japan's unemployment rate; EITC program; Income; Wages; Employment; Social assistance spending; Income tax systems
Cover IMF Working Papers
Household Consumption Volatility and Poverty Risk: Case Studies from South Africa and Tanzania
Mr. Matthieu Bellon
,
Carlo Pizzinelli
, and
Mr. Roberto Perrelli
Economic volatility remains a fact of life in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Household-level shocks create large consumption fluctuations, raising the incidence of poverty. Drawing on micro-level data from South Africa and Tanzania, we examine the vulnerability to shocks across household types (e.g. by education, ethnic group, and economic activity) and we quantify the impact that reducing consumption volatility would have on aggregate poverty. We then discuss coverage of consumption insurance mechanisms, including financial access and transfers. Country characteristics crucially determine which household-level shocks are most prevalent and which consumption-smoothing mechanisms are available. In Tanzania, agricultural shocks are an important source of consumption risk as two thirds of households are involved in some level of agricultural production. For South Africa, we focus on labor market risk proxied by transitions from formal employment to informal work or unemployment. We find that access to credit, when available, and government transfers can effectively mitigate labor market shocks.
Keywords:
WP; Tanzania; consumption volatility; food consumption; consumption fluctuation; consumption deviation; consumption level; counterfactual consumption allocation; consumption loss; Consumption; Income; Household consumption; Employment; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Poverty; South Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Republic of Armenia: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This paper describes that with the global downturn in 2007–2009, some of these achievements were partially reversed due to severe negative shocks to growth and changes in the composition of growth. While compared to peer countries, inequality in Armenia remains low; it has increased somewhat since 2009. Poverty has marginally declined after the global crisis, but unemployment remains high. Creating jobs, reducing poverty, and higher inclusiveness would require sustained high growth and implementing pro-poor policies. Better-targeted social policies and more attention to the regional distribution of spending would also help reduce poverty and improve inclusiveness. Poverty declined during the 2000s, supported by high growth. Poverty rate decreased by one third and the extreme poverty declined by half during 2004–2008. In addition to strong growth which created many job opportunities, higher social expenditures played a key role in lowering poverty. Regional disparities of poverty levels remain very high. These disparities, however, are geographical and not across the urban/rural divide. Indeed, contrary to the common perception, poverty rates in urban and rural areas are almost the same.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; government; poverty rate; employment prospect; promotion program; poverty severity; youth unemployment; expenditure policy; State employment agencies; employment contribution; Employment; Unemployment; Labor force participation; Labor force; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Republic of Mozambique: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
International Monetary Fund
The Poverty Reduction Action Plan (PARP) 2011–14 is the medium-term strategy of the Government of Mozambique for putting into operation the Five-Year Government Program (2010–14). This medium-term instrument is part of the National Planning System (SNP) and is aligned with the vision of Agenda 2025. To achieve the objective of inclusive economic growth for reducing poverty, the government has defined general objectives, to which government efforts will be directed. The PARP is a dynamic and flexible instrument.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; government; enterprise; government program; procurement contract; e-government network; State budget; transaction costs; durable goods; government e-mail system; government procurement contract; State revenue; government priority; government action; inflation rate; Employment; Infrastructure; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Cameroon: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
International Monetary Fund
The Cameroonian authorities found irregularities while implementing the first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The process of revising the strategy of PRSP I has resulted in the growth and employment strategy paper (GESP), designed for achieving the MDGs and realizing the vision with multiyear development programs. The GESP deals with a review of development policies, its vision and goals, a growth and employment strategy, state governance and strategic management, macroeconomic and budgetary guidelines, and an institutional framework. The GESP programming and monitoring system thus will help in formulating better policies.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; job creation; private sector; financial support; poverty rate; public expenditure; tertiary sector; regional council; net exporter; public finance; local government; government plan; production system; development partner; primary sector; Employment; Global; Central Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Serbia and Montenegro: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper—Progress Reports
International Monetary Fund
This paper discusses the First Progress Report on the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) in Serbia. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Serbia and its implementation complement the efforts of Serbia in the European Union integration process. The PRSP also includes a focus on the need to reform the public administration with the goal of increasing the efficiency and transparency of policy coordination and governance in implementing the programmatic documents of the Republic of Serbia as well as in improving the way of governing the overall and public sector policies.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; financial support; gross domestic product; absolute poverty; private sector; job creation; economic growth; poverty rate; employment agency; Poverty reduction strategy; Poverty reduction and development; Eastern Europe; Southern Europe; Western Europe; Europe; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Mind the Gap—Is Economic Growth in India Leaving Some States Behind?
Miss Catriona Purfield
This paper examines how growth has varied across India's states. It finds that (i) the income gap between rich and poor states has widened; (ii) rich and faster-growing states have been more effective in reducing poverty; (iii) poor and slower-growing states have had little success in generating private sector jobs; (iv) labor and capital flows do little to close income gaps; and (v) the volatility in economic growth is greatest in poor states. Differences in states' policies affect the cross-state pattern of growth. Greater private sector investment, smaller governments, and better institutions are found to have a positive impact on growth.
Keywords:
WP; state; growth performance
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Rwanda: Joint Staff Advisory Note of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Annual Progress Report
International Monetary Fund
This paper presents a Joint Staff Advisory Note of Rwanda’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Annual Progress Report. To enhance transparency and accountability, planning and budgeting processes necessary for the monitoring of the PRSP have improved, an organic budget law has been submitted to Parliament, and an action plan to create a modern public financial management system has been adopted. The demobilization effort has advanced and strategies in the social sectors have been very successful. Efficient transportation links, both domestic and international, are crucial for improving commerce and diversifying the economy.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; government; PRSP update; PRSP implementation; Rwanda's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper; PRS monitoring; APR note; Poverty reduction strategy; Poverty reduction; Public employment; Infrastructure; Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Net Schemes for Economies in Transition
Gillian Paull
Inspired by the current Polish economic restructuring program, this paper attempts to develop a general income support scheme that could serve as a model to alleviate poverty in developed economies in the transitional phase. The proposed scheme has the advantage that no part of the poor population is omitted from eligibility for support sufficient to remove them from poverty. The concept of the simplified model is protection against poverty through income maintenance that is conditional upon fulfillment of forward-looking requirements such as workfare, training or job search. Further, the scheme considers methods whereby limited national resources can be managed by official policies that combine into a coherent, cost-effective package, an optimal mix of income guarantee levels and incentive effects.
Keywords:
WP; average earnings; track benefit; transfer program; private sector; benefit level; maintenance program; poverty line; standard of living; wage rate; per capita income; work disincentive; work requirement; job market; income maintenance program; Personal income; Wages; Employment; Europe
Cover The Implications of Fund Supported Adjustment Programs for Poverty
The Implications of Fund Supported Adjustment Programs for Poverty
Experiences in Selected Countries: Occa Paper 58
International Monetary Fund

Abstract

This paper presents a study that focuses on specific adjustment programs for limited periods and is aimed largely at analyzing the short-run implications of the policy measures. The longer run implications are also discussed whenever relevant, since much of the rationale for policies and many of the beneficial effects on the poor are likely to be realized over time. The study also notes any compensatory targeting measures oriented to the poor, together with their implications for the adjustment efforts and the political viability of the programs. These analyses may provide lessons for improving the design of future adjustment programs. The chapter also summarizes the sample countries and programs; and describes the methodology used in the study. The results of the study suggest that adjustment programs in general have important distributional implications. During the process of adjustment, it is inevitable that some social groups gain while others lose, particularly when adjustment is aimed at a shift in sectoral resource allocation.

Keywords:
OP; poverty group; policy; policy instrument; adjustment program; program policy; poverty indicator; Income and capital gains taxes; Income tax systems; Exchange rates; Global; Duties