Equity

BANGKOK (ILO News) – Leaders around the world are talking about inequality. With the global economy still dragging there are growing fears that rising income disparities could hamper growth and reverse social progress. At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, inequality was highlighted as the defining challenge for 2015. Here in the Asia-Pacific region,…

At the opening of the G20 meeting, the thinktank says politicians must prioritise policies that share the gains of stronger growth Politicians must focus on policies to ensure that stronger economic growth goes hand in hand with fairer distribution of the financial gains if they are to stem rising inequality, a leading economic thinktank has…

One of my favorite books when I was growing up in Fiji was Margaret Mitchell’s, Gone With The Wind. Of course, this tale of American Civil War era life on a Southern plantation was about as far removed from my Pacific islands reality as it is possible to get. But no matter how politically incorrect…

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In 2014, soaring inequality in advanced nations finally received the attention it deserved, as Thomas Piketty’s “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” became a surprise (and deserving) best seller. The usual suspects are still in well-paid denial, but, to everyone else, it is now obvious that income and wealth are more concentrated at the very top…

Publication Date 11-2014 Abstract This paper assesses the effects of fiscal policy on both equity and growth, specifically whether it is possible to design fiscal spending so that it enhances equity without sacrificing economic growth and vice versa. A cross-country panel vector autoregression (PVAR) using the World Development Indicators confirms the growth effects of individual…

There is growing evidence showing positive outcomes for the government’s conditional cash transfer The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT), has come into scrutiny by legislators with significant resources proposed for it next year. From P4 million in 2007 to support 6,000 households, the 2014 budget was P62.6 billion to…

THERE is now a consensus among Filipino and foreign economists that the Philippines has shifted to a higher growth level of 6 percent to 6.5 percent. Ceteris paribus, or all other things being equal, we expect this trend path of the economy to continue for the next six to eight years, encompassing the period of…

Inequality is one of the key challenges of our time. Income inequality specifically is one of the most visible aspects of a broader and more complex issue, one that entails inequality of opportunity and extends to gender, ethnicity, disability, and age, among others. Ranking second in last year’s Outlook, it was identified as the most…

In the phrase “inclusive growth,” the key word is “inclusive,” not “growth.” Unless economic growth is inclusive, meaning that it benefits the lower classes, let us not make so much propaganda about it.

America ranks high globally in economic opportunities for women, according to a new index. But the country lags behind in other key areas like political leadership. The gap in economic opportunity between American men and women is narrowing, but the U.S. still can’t seem to get ahead in the global race for equality.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday clarified their proposed monitoring and evaluation of the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for next year was only P429.2 million, and not P4.2 billion.

WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen sounded an alarm Friday about widening economic inequality in the United States, suggesting that America’s longstanding identity as a land of opportunity was at stake.

But gulf between rich and poor remains wide, says Credit Suisse MANILA, Philippines–The gap between rich and poor Filipinos remains wide even as wealth inequality in the country has been rapidly declining in recent years, according Credit Suisse Group.

The jobs crisis is over. Now it’s on to the hard part: boosting American income. Tomorrow is the first Friday of October, which means the Labor Department will release its monthly jobs report, an updated look at how many jobs the economy added and where the unemployment rate stands.

Forbes magazine has released its list of top 50 richest people in the Philippines. On top for the sixth straight year is mall tycoon Henry Sy, with a $12 billion net worth – a $2.9 billion increase from a year ago.

MANILA, Philippines – No matter how prosperous the Philippine economy becomes, the country will still experience the “jobless growth” phenomenon of high unemployment and poverty levels, unless the full potential of the manufacturing sector is developed.

PARIS – The economic inequality seen in recent years will only get worse over the coming decades as highly skilled workers reap bigger gains from technological advances, the OECD said on Wednesday.

The Philippines successfully concluded hosting the 23rd World Economic Forum on East Asia which highlighted the impressive economic gains under President Aquino’s administration.

THE United States is very interested to promote entrepreneurship and innovation around in the Philippines and other developing countries to address the inequality problems.

This speech was delivered by New York-based fashion model and transgender rights activist Geena Rocero at the Democratic National Committee LGBT leadership council’s annual gala in the United States on June 16, 2014.

With millions of pounds in the bank, you might have thought the world’s super-rich wouldn’t have a care in the world. But a new survey has revealed the top fears of the world’s wealthiest people, and one of the most common is that their money is their children’s ambition and drive to do well.

There is a business case in pushing for equality as observed and practised by 670 global companies “Men are hired on potential and women are promoted for performance.” What a disturbing thought to think that in evaluating men and women, different standards apply. There seems to be an unconscious bias to rate men as leaders…

THIS morning, the Financial Times leads with a striking allegation: “Capital in the Twenty-First Century”, the bestselling analysis of inequality by economist Thomas Piketty, is fundamentally flawed thanks to errors in the data backing the book. The story is based on work done by Chris Giles, economics editor of the paper. He writes that his…

The country is being heralded as the new Asian success story, but only an elite few reap the rewards. In a neighborhood of so-called “Asian tigers,” the Philippines has quietly emerged as the region’s newest economic darling. At 6.6 percent, the Filipino economy’s current GDP growth rate is the second highest in Asia, behind only…

Team San Miguel regains lead as Phl’s best-paid executives; Meralco comes in 2nd San Miguel Corp. has regained the lead in executive compensation among listed companies for 2013, with Manila Electric Co. zooming up as a close second on the back of record management bonuses.

MANILA, Philippines—Labor groups on Thursday expressed “extreme disappointment” with the four-year-old Aquino administration over its lack of concern for workers and its failure to protect jobs, raise wages and reduce power rates.

AS THE discussion over Thomas Piketty’s new book has expanded, the argument has occasionally been made that concern about inequality is essentially an elite phenomenon. Rich folks in rich cities are devouring and debating the Piketty book, while the rest of the rich world goes on about its business, more worried about jobs and wages…

There’s a school of thought that “the market” sets the salaries for CEOs and low-wage earners alike. But that’s not the case. FORTUNE — Which two companies have promoted “My Little Pony,” have given back pay due to wage theft accusations, pay some employees less than a living wage, and have the same person on…

A careful reading of the statistical picture of income inequality among countries leads to the conclusion that income inequality is partly, but strongly a consequence of growth and development. (See last week’s column.)