1. The Dimensions of Labor Market in Developing and Transition Countries

This chapter is an introduction to the readings in labor economics and industrial organization that the academics and practitioners should find interesting and relevant. As the title of the book suggests, the introductory chapter makes a conscious effort to select a number of topics in the interface of the two subject areas with deep connection to the developing and transition countries. Albeit the theoretical and empirical findings draw strongly on the experiences and methods applicable to the developed countries, the topics accommodate issues specifically important for the developing world. Contemporary issues in labor economics, ranging from the labor-market reforms, trade and labor market, to labor contracts in developing countries as part of the industrial organization therein, find emphasis in this chapter to be developed in detail subsequently.