Labor and Human Capital in the Middle East

Book excerpt: This volume brings together for the first time empirical studies of labor markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It includes surveys on the performance of the markets for labor and human capital in the region, as well as in-depth studies of specific policy issues using micro data. The empirical chapters discuss family decision-making in fertility and human capital accumulation, returns to education, and the efficiency of labor markets. They help raise the level of policy debate in the areas of education, gender equity, population, and employment by providing a deeper understanding of the micro foundations of these policy debates, and by pointing out the extent to which individual and household decision-making determines the outcomes of public policy.