Productivity is a crucial element for the development of people and societies worldwide. Studies have shown that monetary income is one of the main determinants of well-being, with labor productivity being its primary determinant. In LAC poor productivity has led to the last decade (2014-2023) to be worse in terms of economic growth than the infamous ‘lost decade’ of the 1980s.
Against this backdrop, UNU-WIDER and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) partner for a discussion on the potential of productive development policies (PDP’s) to address this challenge.
ECLAC has been promoting the escalation and better implementation of productive development policies (PDPs) as part of the policy toolkit to increase the region’s productivity. However, many challenges and questions remain with regards to ‘what to do’ and ‘how to do it’. UNU-WIDER’s research and policy analysis provides valuable insights to support the work of ECLAC and can assist in answering such questions.
The event will begin with a presentation by UNU-WIDER Director, Kunal Sen, presenting research and policy analysis on productivity and varieties of structural change, with a focus on the LAC region, drawing from a recent publication and the UNU-WIDER’s report, Towards peace, decent work, and greater equality. It will continue with a presentation by ECLAC's Executive Secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, on LAC’s productivity challenge and on the need to scale-up productive development policies in the region to address this challenge.
In the panel discussion experts from international organizations, academia, and policy networks will exchange diagnostics on the region's main productivity problems and will discuss ideas on how to progress towards productive development in the region across two panel discussions.
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