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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
06:48
Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Economic integration and upward mobility in Brazil
Radu Barza1, Edward Glaeser2, César A Hidalgo3,4
1Independent Researcher.
Summary
Cities can be engines of opportunity, not poverty traps, in emerging economies. Greater mixing of skilled and unskilled labor in southern Brazilian cities promotes upward mobility for poor workers.
Area of Science:
- Urban Economics
- Economic Sociology
- Development Studies
Background:
- Rapid urbanization in emerging economies presents both opportunities and challenges.
- Understanding factors influencing socioeconomic mobility within cities is crucial for development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how urban agglomeration influences upward mobility for low-income workers in Brazil.
- To identify specific mechanisms driving or hindering economic mobility in cities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 13 years of linked employer-employee data for all formal workers in Brazil.
- Comparative analysis of urban characteristics and worker mobility in southern versus northern Brazilian cities.
Main Results:
- Cities enabling greater upward mobility, particularly in southern Brazil, exhibit more mixing of skilled and unskilled labor.
- In contrast, northern cities with less mobility show disproportionate concentration of skilled workers in the public sector.
- Urbanization benefits are linked to labor mixing and social organization of production, not just city size or education levels.
Conclusions:
- Urban agglomeration can foster upward mobility, acting as an engine of opportunity.
- The social organization of production, specifically labor market integration, is a key determinant of urban mobility.
- Policy interventions should consider promoting labor market mixing to enhance inclusive urban development.
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