Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Norman Loayza

Author

Norman Loayza
Lead Economist, Development Research Group, World Bank

Norman Loayza currently heads the World Bank's research hub for Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Most recently, he was director of the World Development Report 2014, Risk and Opportunity: Risk Management for Development. Norman is Peruvian and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University, awarded in 1994. Since then he has worked in the World Bank research group, except in 1999-2000 when he was a senior economist at the Central Bank of Chile. Norman's research has addressed various areas of economic and social development, including macroeconomic management through monetary and fiscal policy, reforms for economic growth and productivity, an analysis of investment returns and risks across the world. His advisory experience at the World Bank has covered several regions and countries of the world, including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Tunisia. Norman has edited 10 books and published over 50 articles in professional journals and books.

Content by this Author

The future of work: race with – not against – the machine

History suggests that in the long term, fears of technology leading to job loss and reduced wages are misplaced. But in the short and medium term, dislocation can be severe for certain types of work, places and populations. This column argues that in the transition period, policies are needed to facilitate labour market flexibility and mobility, to introduce and strengthen safety nets and social protection, and to improve education and training.

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Empowering Egypt’s young people for the future of work

Egypt’s most urgent priority is creating more and better jobs for its growing youth population. This column reports on the first Development Dialogue, an ERF–World Bank joint initiative, which brought together students, scholars, policy-makers and private sector leaders at Cairo University to confront the country’s labour market challenge. The conversation explored why youth inclusion matters, what the data show and how dialogue and the forthcoming Country Economic Memorandum can inform practical pathways to accelerate job creation.

Preparing youth for the workforce of the future

As economies undergo rapid digital and green transformations, young people face a growing mismatch between their skills and what the modern labour market needs. This column argues that enabling youth to compete in the workforce of the future requires systemic reforms in education, skills formation and labour market institutions, especially in developing economies.

Connectivity and conflict: understanding the risks of inequality in the Middle East

While high inequality does not always lead to conflict, new research reported in this column shows that widespread internet access acts as a catalyst, transforming economic grievances into political instability. For policy-makers in the Middle East and North Africa, this means that as digital connectivity expands, the security costs of ignoring economic disparities rise dramatically. The combination of idle youth, high inequality and high-speed internet is a volatile mix.

The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.




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