Uruguay : Maintaining Social Equity in a Changing Economy

This report focuses on understanding key
issues related to poverty, vulnerability and social policy
in the context of a changing Uruguayan economy. Because the
country is highly urbanized (90 percent), and data on rural
areas are scant, most of the analysis in this study focuses
on urban areas. Chapter 1 presents a profile of poverty and
its trends in the nineties using household survey data.
Chapter 2 looks at changes in the structure of the economy
and the link with problems of unemployment, underemployment,
and labor insecurity over the past decade. Chapter 3 focuses
on the specific issues of marginalization and vulnerability
based on a qualitative study carried out in poor urban
neighborhoods surrounding Montevideo. Chapter 4 analyzes
Government social expenditures, with particular emphasis on
how effective these expenditures are at reaching the poor
and meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Background
papers with detailed analysis are also available under
separate cover. Policy recommendations are included in this summary.