This book examines long-term structural changes and the broad impact on economic development in regional comparative perspectives. The book analyzes data across Africa, Asia and Latin America. It looks at key variables of productivity growth, industrialization, poverty, urbanization, and employment. This book is concerned with understanding structural change dynamics and how it affects job creation, living standards, and the efficiency of productive cities through manufacturing productivity growth that benefits majority of citizens.

With empirical evidence from a selected number of developing countries including China, India, Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa, the book attempts to present the considerable structural changes of these countries over the last few decades. It highlights that growth without the expected job creation is one of the distinct features of growth in emerging and developing countries. It suggests that countries may well record economic growth, whether through within sector productivity increase or through structural change, but this may not necessarily lead to employment, an important concern for long-term development.