Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Firat Bilgel

Author

Firat Bilgel
Associate Professor of Economics at Istanbul Okan University

Dr. Bilgel is an Associate Professor of Economics at Istanbul Okan University, Turkey. He holds a B.A. degree in Business-Economics from Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey and a M.A. degree in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada and a Ph.D. degree in Law and Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Dr. Bilgel’s areas of interest include health economics, political economy, empirical legal studies and causal inference. Dr. Bilgel spent the 2017-18 academic year as a Visiting Research Scholar at Montana State University, with the Initiative for Regulation and Applied Economic Analysis where he worked on organ donation and gun control.

Content by this Author

Human capital and regional disparities in Turkey

Turkey has a longstanding problem of uneven economic development across its regions. This column explores the interactions between the market access of central and remote parts of the country, the varying levels of human capital accumulation in those places, and the wage returns to education. The research evidence indicates the potential of regional policy to reduce inequalities.

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Untapped talent, unrealised growth: jobs and women in the MENAAP region

Only around one in five women of working age participate in the labour markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As this column explains, the region can no longer afford to leave half its human capital underused. Expanding women’s labour force participation is central to growth and resilience in the face of looming demographic change.

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.

Challenges of conflict and industrial policy for development

How effective is industrial policy as a tool for long-term economic growth and development? Against the backdrop of the conflict currently engulfing the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAAP), a new report argues that while industrial policies are widely used across the region, they can only address market failures and foster growth when they are aligned with country capabilities, implemented with accountability and backed by capable institutions.




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