‘Poor and Informal Workers’. Economists, International Agencies, and the World of Work in Latin America (1960-1980)

Abstract

During the decades of development (the 1960s-1970s), economists and international agencies became increasingly concerned about labor issues in Latin America. The region’s different and unique challenges required new concepts and interpretations. This article explores how local experts and the International Labour Organization (ILO) discussed and analyzed employment and the labor market. Based on the documents and publications of the ILO, the Programa de Empleo para América Latina y el Caribe (PREALC), and local economists, this article shows the Latin American contributions to the global debate on unemployment. It also demonstrates how this increasingly technical and academic dialogue excluded workers and their organizations.