Manufacturing-led development has provided the traditional model for creating jobs and prosperity. But in the past three decades the conventional pattern of structural transformation has changed, with the services sector growing faster than the manufacturing sector. This raises critical questions about the ability of developing economies to close productivity gaps with advanced economies and to create good jobs for more people. At Your Service? The Promise of Services-Led Development (www.worldbank.org/services-led-development) assesses the scope of a services-driven development model and policy directions that can maximize the model’s potential.

Consumer Services and Economic Development evaluates the role of consumer services as motors for local economic development in contemporary advanced economies. The contributions that specific consumer service industries are making to local economic development are analysed. Tourism, sports, universities, retailing and the cultural industries are each examined in turn. Following this, the roles that the consumer services sector are playing in economic regeneration are investigated in a number of different contexts: a global city; several contrasting urban areas; and a rural locality. In each case, whether consumer services have taken a lead or supportive role in local economic development is surveyed, and their effectiveness in promoting economic regeneration is evaluated. This book dispels the common myth that consumer services are residual activities dependent upon other economic sectors for their vitality and viability. Providing a comprehensive overview and evaluation of the contributions of the consumer services sector to economic development, this book reveals the need for a fundamental reconceptualization of both the function of services in particular and economic development theory and practice more generally.

"Economic Development Finance provides a foundation for students and professionals in the technical aspects of business and real estate finance and surveys the full range of policies, program models, and financing tools used in economic development practice within the United States."--Jacket.

The service sector accounts for a huge proportion of global employment, and is the biggest driver of gross domestic product in developing nations. Yet there has been little research uncovering its scope, potential and implications on sustained and inclusive economic growth. This is especially true for Africa, which has seen a strong growth trajectory in recent years. This book presents a new frontier of research, offering insightful perspectives on the 21st-century realities of the service sector and its effect on economic development in Africa. The analysis presented here will be of relevance to academics and policymakers with an interest in Africa’s role in the global economy.