Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Luca Flabbi

Author

Luca Flabbi
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics, University of North Carolina

Luca Flabbi is an applied microeconomist with expertise in labor, population and development economics. His research focuses on gender discrimination, labor market search and frictions, earnings inequality, labor market informality, simultaneous marriage and labor market searches, intergenerational mobility, and schooling decisions. Recently, he has completed work on the labor market institutions leading to informal labor contracts and on the importance of child care markets for parental labor supply and child development. He has published widely in economics research journals such as the International Economic Review, the Journal of Econometrics and the Economics Journal and in policy publications such as the Development in the Americas flagship of the Inter-American Development Bank. Before joining UNC-Chapel Hill, he worked at Georgetown University and at the Inter-American Development Bank. He is Co-Editor of Labour Economics, The Journal of the European Association of Labour Economists. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University.

Content by this Author

Labour market transitions over the life cycle in Egypt across two decades

To assess the impact of Covid-19 on Egypt’s labour markets, it is useful to understand how they functioned prior to the shock. Drawing on two decades of data on labour market transitions, this column concludes that the hefty reliance of the country’s economy on public sector employment, in particular for women, the small size of the private formal sector, the large and increasing private informal sector, and the very low participation of women all make the Egyptian labour market less resilient in absorbing the negative effects of the pandemic.

Most read

Global value chains and sustainable development

What is the role of exchange rate undervaluation in promoting participation in global value chains by firms in developing countries? What is the impact of the stringency of national environmental regulations on firms’ GVC participation? And how do firms’ political connections affect their participation in GVCs? These questions will be explored for the MENA region at a special session of the ERF annual conference, which takes place in Cairo in April 2025.

Adoption of decentralised solar energy: lessons from Palestinian households

The experience of Palestinian households offers a compelling case study of behavioural adaptation to energy poverty via solar water heater adoption. This column highlights the key barriers to solar energy adoption in terms of both the socio-economic status and dwellings of potential users. Policy-makers need to address these barriers to ensure a just and equitable transition, particularly for households in conflict-affected areas across the MENA region.

Migration, human capital and labour markets in MENA

Migration is a longstanding and integral part of the MENA region’s economic and social fabric, with profound implications for labour markets and human capital development. To harness the potential of migration for promoting economic and social development, policy-makers must aim to deliver mutual benefits for origin countries, host countries and migrants. Such a triple-win strategy requires better data, investment in return migration, skill partnerships, reduced remittance costs and sustained support for host countries.

Shifting gears: how the private sector can be an engine of growth in MENA

Businesses are a key source of productivity growth, innovation and jobs. But in the Middle East and North Africa, the private sector is not dynamic and the region has a long history of low growth. This column summarises a new report explaining how a brighter future for MENA’s private sector is within reach if governments rethink their role and firms harness talent effectively.




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