Should We Globalize Labor, Too?

When the (em>New York Times Magazine raised that provocative question in the title of an article last week, it included as part of the answer an interview with CGD visiting fellow Lant Pritchett and an extended discussion of the ideas raised in his controversial CGD book, Let Their People Come: Breaking the Gridlock on Global Labor Mobility. The NYT writer, Jason DeParle, reported that even Pritchett's friends and supporters think his proposal for globalizing labor is ahead of its time. CGD research fellow Michael Clemens disagrees. In fact, he writes, Lant's idea that rich countries should host millions of low-skilled temporary workers is much like the system we already have--except that the visitors would be legal.
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