In the Grip of Transition Economic and Social Consequences of Restructuring in Russia and Ukraine

The shift from a centrally planned to a market-based economy involves, amongst other elements, the restructuring of state-owned or privatised enterprises. Realigning product lines, adopting new technology and imposing sound finances are all important stages in the integration of enterprises into world markets. This book analyses the efficiency of the economic restructuring in the two largest successor states to the Soviet Union, raising important questions such as why they have been relatively slow to pursue restructuring policies, how the transition has affected labour markets and institutions, and the impact that this has had on poverty and social safety nets. Analysis is based on a careful examination of micro level data, documenting the experiences of both institutions and individuals.

Tilman Brck is Head of the Department of Development and Security at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) and Professor of Development Economics at Humboldt-University of Berlin, Germany. He is an IZA Research Fellow and a Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Social Science at the University of individuals and households experiencing Situations of extreme risk in developing and transition countries. Hartmut Lehmann is Professor of Economic policy in the department of economics at the University of Bologna, Italy, and Program Director of the IZA research area 'Labor Markets in Emerging and Transition Countries'. He is a WDI fellow and an IZA fellow. He is also a Senior Consultant to the World Bank and has been a Consultant to the ILO, the OECD and UNDP.