Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) should not be defined by the structural parameters and opportunities of low-income countries, given that it also comprises a number of higher-income countries. This book finds that SSA is tightly constrained in its growth, employment and poverty outcomes. Rather than taking this as a conceptual downside, these constraints to growth and development have to be recognised and overcome-not just by a few countries able to escape them more easily, but by all countries in SSA, such that no country is left behind. The book observes a weakness in the quantum of growth in SSA. It relates this to a growth path based more on extractives than manufactured goods. While SSA is endowed with extractives, global demand for these is very volatile. These boom-bust cycles in export demand come to affect not just the export sector in SSA as a resource curse, but also the production of output of the entire economy. The book captures this through the working out of equilibrium in four major markets: the tradeables market, the domestic goods market, the labour market, and the money market.

The financial crisis in advanced economies and its impact on developing countries has put the longer term agenda of development - structural transformation of countries, of their growth, jobs, poverty and distribution - on the analytic and policy backburner. Day to day management of macro fundamentals in the global economy and the labour market have consumed decision makers with faltering GDP growth, soaring unemployment, and a resurgent threat of deflation. Without understanding and addressing the structural constraints and imbalances underpinning such global problems, the world economy is doomed to experience an increasing number of crises and emerging dualisms between countries. The aim of this book is to bring back a balance to the development debate by re-focusing on the structural development challenges faced by developing countries. The book develops a coherent analytical framework supported by a large body of new empirical evidence linking three core dimensions - the structure of growth, employment, and their macro drivers. Then, for each of these dimensions and relationships a variety of effective policies are also identified and elucidated with the added granularity of country cases.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) should not be defined by the structural parameters and opportunities of low-income countries, given that it also comprises a number of higher-income countries. This book finds that SSA is tightly constrained in its growth, employment and poverty outcomes. Rather than taking this as a conceptual downside, these constraints to growth and development have to be recognised and overcome—not just by a few countries able to escape them more easily, but by all countries in SSA, such that no country is left behind. The book observes a weakness in the quantum of growth in SSA. It relates this to a growth path based more on extractives than manufactured goods. While SSA is endowed with extractives, global demand for these is very volatile. These boom-bust cycles in export demand come to affect not just the export sector in SSA as a resource curse, but also the production of output of the entire economy. The book captures this through the working out of equilibrium in four major markets: the tradeables market, the domestic goods market, the labour market, and the money market.

The financial crisis in advanced economies and its impact on developing countries has put the longer term agenda of development - structural transformation of countries, of their growth, jobs, poverty and distribution - on the analytic and policy backburner. Day to day management of macro fundamentals in the global economy and the labour market have consumed decision makers with faltering GDP growth, soaring unemployment, and a resurgent threat of deflation. Without understanding and addressing the structural constraints and imbalances underpinning such global problems, the world economy is doomed to experience an increasing number of crises and emerging dualisms between countries. The aim of this book is to bring back a balance to the development debate by re-focusing on the structural development challenges faced by developing countries. The book develops a coherent analytical framework supported by a large body of new empirical evidence linking three core dimensions - the structure of growth, employment, and their macro drivers. Then, for each of these dimensions and relationships a variety of effective policies are also identified and elucidated with the added granularity of country cases.