World Bank on Labour

World Bank on Labour JAN BREMAN (September 16) criticises the latest World Development Report of the World Bank, which deals with labour in the globalising world economy. Most of his criticism is not justified. The report is not a hard-liberal manifesto or manual, but a balanced document. The emphasis on both growth and targeted state intervention for the poor and for the social sectors, like basic (female) education, is maintained. That the role of labour is dealt with mostly in economic terms can be defended given the importance of raising of living standards, for which raising of wages and therefore productivity is essential.