CURRENT STATE AND TRANSFORMATIONS OF RURAL EMPLOYMENT IN LATIN AMERICA. AN ANALYSIS OF THE CASE OF CHILE

Abstract

Rural employment in Latin America has historically remained in an unfavorable situation with respect to urban areas. While the income of rural inhabitants is lower, self-employment, agricultural work, and pluriactivity, which are typically associated with high vulnerability, are higher in rural areas. However, in recent decades, countries of the region have experienced changes in their rural employment structures. The objective of the study is to describe the current state and transformations of rural employment in Latin America, analyzing recent changes in Chile. Several household surveys are used to describe the current situation of rural employment for four Latin American countries: Chile, Colombia, Guatemala and Nicaragua, while recent changes in Chile are also addressed. The results indicate that, although rural areas of Latin America are in unfavorable conditions, the case of Chile shows a drop in agricultural employment and self-employment, and a greater female participation, which is consistent with an improvement in the living conditions of rural inhabitants and a potential economic convergence towards urban areas