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Connecting Workers to Jobs: L atin A merican Innovations in Labor Intermediation Services
Author(s) -
Mazza Jacqueline
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
latin american policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.195
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2041-7373
pISSN - 2041-7365
DOI - 10.1111/lamp.12020
Subject(s) - intermediation , disadvantaged , business , labour economics , listing (finance) , financial intermediary , economics , finance , economic growth
Over the past decade, L atin A merican public employment services have been investing in improving and transforming rudimentary employment services into more comprehensive labor intermediation services. Intermediation services connect workers to jobs, training, and social services. They are of particular importance in L atin A merica where the tradition of listing jobs openly is more limited and large pools of disadvantaged workers search for work inefficiently through equally disadvantaged informal sector contacts. This article analyzes job searches in the A mericas and the evolution and progress of L atin A merican versions of labor intermediation services. It classifies countries in the region as developing in stages, those in early development (stage one) and those with advancing coverage and efficiency (stage two). It argues that the most advanced of these services in the region are evolving toward a third future stage, to integrate and more efficiently connect diffused social, antipoverty and labor programs, to be positioned to serve key development challenges in L atin A merica.