Linkages Between Pro-Poor Growth, Social Programs and Labor Market: The Recent Brazilian Experience

SummaryThis paper analyzes the relationship between growth patterns, poverty, and inequality in Brazil during its globalization process, focusing on the role played by the labor market and social programs. Methodologically, the paper makes two contributions to the literature. One is the proposal of a new measure of pro-poor growth, which links growth rates in mean income and in income inequality. The other contribution is a decomposition methodology that explores linkages between three dimensions: growth patterns, labor market performances, and social policies. The proposed methodologies are then applied to the Brazilian National Household Survey covering the period 1995–2004.