Between 2000 and 2013, Colombia experienced rapid economic growth. The country suffered a slowdown at the beginning of the period and during the international crisis of 2008, but during both slowdowns, the growth rate never turned negative. Most labour market indicators improved and followed the...

During the 2000s Bolivia experienced moderate economic growth and improved all labour market indicators. The economy suffered a slowdown as a consequence of the international crisis of 2008, but Bolivia sustained positive growth rates during that episode. The unemployment rate fell between 2000...

During the 2000s Mexico grew less than the average for Latin America. Labour market indicators exhibited mixed changes, with improvements over the period for some of them and deterioration for others. The country was severely hurt by the international crisis of 2008, but Mexico surpassed its...

During the 2000s, the Dominican Republic experienced above-average economic growth along with mixed results in labour market indicators. GDP per capita stagnated through 2004 and, for the most part, grew rapidly from 2005 through 2012. Comparing 2000 with 2012, many unfavourable developments...

In the 2000s, Costa Rica experienced moderate economic growth and a general improvement in labour market conditions. From 2000 to 2012, Costa Rica grew at the Latin American average. Most labour market indicators improved during 2001 - 09 and 2010 - 12 (the series with comparable data). However,...

During the 2000s Paraguay experienced slow economic growth but improved all labour market indicators. The growth process was erratic. Paraguay underwent a macroeconomic crisis at the beginning of the period, a recession as a consequence of the international crisis of 2008, and a local crisis in...

This paper documents patterns and recent developments on different dimensions of inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). New comparative international evidence confirms that LAC is a region of high inequality, although maybe not the highest in the world. Income inequality has fallen...

This document presents a systematic review of empirical approaches to the identification and measurement of the middle class as the concept is used in the applied literature. It then presents an arguably less arbitrary definition of the middle class which is based on sound principles of...

This paper provides original empirical evidence on the evolution of education inequality for all Latin American countries over the decades of 1990 and 2000. The analysis covers a wide range of issues on differences in educational outcomes and opportunities across the population, including...

It has been argued that a factor behind the decline in income inequality in Latin America in the 2000s was the educational upgrading of its labor force. Between 1990 and 2010, the proportion of the labor force in the region with at least secondary education increased from 40 to 60 percent....