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New release of the World Income Inequality Database

The most comprehensive collection of income inequality statistics now through 2022

New Elements out now

Cambridge Elements in Development Economics is an Open Access series of peer-reviewed, original, authoritative, and succinct publications combining the best features of books and journals, made especially for digital access!

Report: Towards peace, decent work, and greater equality

Research evidence for transforming economies, states, and societies

The Job Ladder: Transforming informal work and livelihoods in developing countries

NEW BOOK - Available now on Open Access. Providing a nuanced view of informality across a range of developing economies using a common conceptual framework.

New WIID Explorer!

A powerful tool for accessing and analysing data on income inequality

Check out our new series of short videos on ‘The puzzle of peace’!

Learn about key issues in peace and conflict research in two minutes from top experts in the field. Click here to watch.

Check out our research in brief

Our research and policy briefs provide a short overview with key findings, lessons, and policy implications, from some of our key research outputs.

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251 UNU-WIDER articles, publications, projects, experts...

Blog

From The Editor's Desk (October 2012)

by Tony Addison October 2012

Tony Addison UNU-WIDER is having a very active and successful autumn. Our climate change and development policy conference at the end of September...

Blog

From the Editor’s Desk (September 2012)

by Tony Addison September 2012

Tony Addison Mid-September finds UNU-WIDER very busy preparing for our big conference on climate change and development policy that takes place later...

Blog

From the Editor's Desk (March 2012)

by Tony Addison March 2012

Tony Addison With the ice floes now gone from the harbour outside the UNU-WIDER building, and with the snow replaced by an icy hail, there is a...

Working Paper

Demographic, employment, and wage trends in South Africa

This paper looks to uncover the growth traps and opportunities for the South African economy, with a focus on underlying labour market dynamics. We explore the potential of South Africa’s demographic dividend. We also consider the structure of the...

Working Paper

Trade Unions in an Emerging Economy

This paper provides a historical overview of the South African trade union movement, followed by a brief discussion of the labour market legislation and institutions formed since 1994. Thereafter, a detailed evaluation of the impact of trade unions...

Working Paper

Minimum Wage and Informality in Ecuador

This paper investigates if changes in the minimum wage have influenced changes on the formality and informality rates, and the level of wages in Ecuador. A 12-year panel was built. It allows to overcome the short time span of household data and so to...

Working Paper

Skills-Biased Labour Demand and the Pursuit of Inclusive Growth in South Africa

This paper examines the changing nature of occupational labour-market trends in South Africa and the resulting impact on wages. We observe high levels of demand for skilled labour that have intensified a trend already established before 1994. Over...

Working Paper

Understanding the relationship between growth and employment in Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between growth and employment in Nigeria to gain insights into the country's paradox of high economic growth alongside rising poverty and inequality. The methodology adopted is the Shapley decomposition approach...

Blog

Youth Unemployment in the Arab World: What Do We know? What is the Way Forward?

by Imed Drine June 2012

Imed Drine Many observers see youth unemployment as the major reason behind the recent popular uprisings in a number of Arab countries. Increasing...

Blog

Youth Employment: A Key Issue

by Carl-Gustav Lindén January 2013

Economist Imed Drine recently left UNU-WIDER and headed with his family for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to take up a new position as a senior economist with...