About the course

Economic change is reshaping local economies, with important implications for work, incomes and poverty. Trade and new technologies are polarising labour markets and creating new types of employment in both the developed and developing world. Despite global falls in poverty, living standards in many disadvantaged regions have been stagnant. And while some cities and regions have managed to create skilled jobs, others have struggled to do so. How can policymakers manage this change and create good jobs in disadvantaged cities and regions? How can local policymakers reduce poverty and disadvantage? Is Inclusive Growth feasible? This course focuses on the relationship between local economic development, labour markets, poverty and living standards. Each week we cover academic theory and evidence and then relate this to a current policy challenge. Topics include the geography of poverty, spatial labour markets, labour market change, the challenge of high- and low-skills equilibriums, and the geography of social mobility. The second half of the term focuses on the critical analysis of policy agendas. Topics include the impact of high-tech strategies on low-wage workers, spatial targeting of anti-poverty efforts, microfinance and entrepreneurship, and Inclusive Growth.