Abstract
The restructuring of capitalism involved profound changes in the way companies operate, in the integration of markets and in the sphere of state sovereignty. Economic globalization has intensified competition between companies, workers and nations. The hierarchical, dollar-led international monetary order has boosted uneven and combined development. The aim of this paper is to stimulate reflection on contemporary capitalism from the perspective of political economy. The dynamics of financial flows and the increase in wealth stocks have had impacts on macroeconomic management, job creation and income distribution in developed countries. The early deindustrialization of Latin American economies and the consistent industrialization of Asian economies altered the international division of labor and differentiated the capitalist periphery. The financialization of wealth and the empowerment of rentierism have constrained most governments to work towards full employment and social protection. The widespread global value chains and the redefining of the pattern of competition by large corporations have negatively affected unions and the labor market, increasing unemployment (even if in disguise) and precarious labor relations.
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