Foreign trade and microenterprises in Central America. A view from the labor conditions of workers

Abstract

IT IS NECESSARY TO INVESTIGATE WHAT LABOR CONDITIONS ARE MAINTAINED IN MICROENTERPRISES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ECONOMIC MODEL AND COMMERCIAL STRATEGY, SINCE MANY CENTRAL AMERICANS ARE EMPLOYED IN THESE UNITS. TO THIS END, I PRESENT AN ANALYSIS OF THESE CONDITIONS IN RELATION TO A PRODUCTIVE CLASSIFICATION OF BRANCHES OF ACTIVITY LINKED OR NOT TO FOREIGN TRADE. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENTIATION IN LABOR CONDITIONS AND THAT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOREIGN TRADE IS POLARIZED, WITHIN THE TRADE ITSELF, AND ALSO MEDIATED BY THE SIZE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT.