Large economic shocks, frequent and abrupt regulatory changes and very diverse experience of transitions from socialism to capitalism in the European post-communist countries and the former Soviet Union have been a useful laboratory to address important issues of general interest for labor economists. The program contributes to the understanding of institutions, policies and performance of the labor markets in these economies, as well as China and Vietnam, attempting to draw more general lessons from their experiences. It also takes a comparative approach by evaluating the experiences of these countries relative to the developed world as well as to major emerging markets, including India and those in Africa and Latin America.

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