Download or read book Three Essays on Labor Markets of South Asian Countries written by Mrittika Shamsuddin and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Asia has been experiencing robust economic growth of about 6% over the last decade. However, it is also the home to about 44% of the world's poor. About 571 million people of the region live under $1.25 a day. About 80% of its labor force works in the informal sector with low skill and low earnings. It has the largest working age population (56%) and the lowest female labor force participation (18%). It is also the largest sender of emigrants to the world. In order to promote sustainable and inclusive growth, South Asia needs to find productive employment for its key assets, which are its people. The governments of South Asian countries have taken many initiatives in this regard including education programs like the female secondary school stipend program, employment programs like the food for work and the employment generation for the poor and demand side interventions like enhancing firm's access to electricity through subsidy. This dissertation looks into the labor market effects of two such programs and whether international migration is an economically advantageous