Thomas Farole is a Lead Economist in the World Bank’s Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, where he works on the intersection between jobs and productivity, trade, and private sector development. Prior to joining the Jobs Group, he was a senior economist in the Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice and country economist for Botswana. His recent articles have appeared in IZA World of Labor, The Journal of Economic Geography, and World Development. He holds a PhD in Economic Geography from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), an MSc in Local Economic Development from the LSE, and a BSc in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.