Analyzing the poverty trends in Mexico during the 1980s and early 1990s, this work is concerned with the extent to which changes in the levels of poverty have modified the extent of participation in the labour market.

Analyzing the poverty trends in Mexico during the 1980s and early 1990s, this work is concerned with the extent to which changes in the levels of poverty have modified the extent of participation in the labour market. The period covered is 1982 to 1994, when the Mexican economy experienced an economic crisis and the government set in motion the main stabilization policies and structural adjustment reforms. The author challenges the idea that adjustment reforms have had "social costs" in terms of income and formal employment loss. Despite income losses, well-being indicators continued to improve; and employment statistics show that employment grew despite the economic crisis and adjustment. The paradox of household income decline and the increase in income poverty is explained.

Part 1 Structural adjustment - an overview: structural adjustment - the end of a National Economic Project
the World Bank structural adjustment packages
government and control of economic process
adjustment and poverty
methodological issues of the relationship of adjustment and poverty. Part 2 Adjustment policies in Mexico
background to the 1982 economic crisis
the Mexican economic reform 1982-1994
the impact of adjustment policies on poverty. Part 3 Poverty and household living standards: problems of data sources used to measure poverty
methods used in Mexico to measure poverty
the measurement of poverty in Mexico
trends in poverty in Mexico after the 1982 economic crisis
improvement in some wellbeing indicators
poverty and living conditions in Mexico City
changes in household living conditions in Xalpa, Mexico City. Part 4 Labour force participation trends (1979-1994): employment data sources and employment definitions
labour force participation rates I (employment surveys)
women's work
work by adolescents
labour force participation rates II (income and expenditure surveys)
interaction between income poverty and working effort. Part 5 Labour markets in Mexico City and Xalpa: employment by occupational categories in Mexico City
Xalpa - household members participation in the labour markets. Part 6 Conclusions: criticisms of the Washington Consensus and the Mexican case
stabilization, adjustment and poverty
poverty and the labour market. Appendix - the methodology for measuring poverty
the Integrated Poverty Measurement Method (IPMM)
the Poverty Line (PL) Method based on a Normative Basket of Essential Satisfiers (NBES)
adjusting household income to National Accounts (NA).