Call for Proposals: Employment Transition in ASEAN and East Asia

Employment transition refers to the process of individuals moving from one stage or type of employment to another. This includes entering the workforce for the first time, changing jobs or careers (including adapting to new roles or industries), moving from unemployment to employment, transitioning from temporary to permanent work, shifting across the formal/informal divide, or retiring from the workforce. Proposals relevant to any aspect of employment transition are welcome.

The goal of the project is to conduct rigorous empirical research to generate recommendations for ensuring a timely adjustment of the labor market to the rapidly changing structure of economic activity due to global megatrends, such as supply chain reorganization, shifting trade patterns, technological proliferation, and the sustainability transition.

Objective

• The objective of this project is to better understand the process of employment transition in low- and middle-income countries participating in the East Asia Summit (Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam) to provide policy recommendations on how to support employment transition during period of rapid economic changes. The project comprises of several research studies that will examine issues relevant to the theme.

Research Topics

• Potential research topics could include (but are not limited to):
  • Quantifying the costs and or benefits associated with employment transition.
  • Evaluating the impact of labor market policies that might influence employment transition.
  • Examining employment transitions among youth, women, individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds, rural areas, etc.
  • Assessing employment transitions in response to demand shocks due to trade or technological changes.

Funding Information

• Each study will be provided a research honorarium of USD 8,000 will be provided in four installments as follows:
  • 1st installment (15%) upon signing the research contract: $1,200.
  • 2nd installment (15%) upon submission of progress report and approval by ERIA: $1,200.
  • 3rd installment (45%) upon the completion of the 2nd project workshop and approval by ERIA: $3,600.
  • 4th installment (25%) upon the final submission (responding to queries from ERIA editors) and approval by ERIA: $2,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Proposals will be evaluated based on both policy relevance and academic rigor. Priority will be given to projects utilizing microeconomic data from low and middle income countries participating in the East Asia Summit (Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam).
• Empirical studies from other countries or regions, or cross-country analyses using macroeconomic data, may be considered on a case-by-case basis if they have strong potential to generate policy lessons for the ASEAN and East Asia region.

For more information, visit ERIA.