América Latina e Caribe (ALC) reduziram sua desigualdade e sua pobreza e enfrentarão as próximas décadas com maior otimismo do que no passado. Conforme a região cresce, aparecem novos problemas que os responsáveis pela condução da política econômica devem enfrentar. Como oferecer...

Economists have examined the impact of labor market regulations on the level of employment. However, there are many reasons to suspect that the impact of regulations differs across types of workers. In this paper we take advantage of the unusually large variance in labor policy in Chile to...

Raising labor productivity is recognized as a critical factor for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty levels in Latin America. Low levels of education continue to be singled out as the main obstacle to higher productivity in the region. We examine the scope for education to lift...

Total factor productivity (TFP) in Latin America has not increased since the mid- 1970s, and in many countries it has declined. Moreover, resource misallocation can lower aggregate TFP. This paper presents evidence based on firm-level data from 10 Latin American countries to quantify the...

This paper examines a much overlooked link between credit markets and formalization: since access to bank credit typically requires compliance with tax and employment legislation, firms are more likely to incur such formalization costs once bank credit is more widely available at lower cost. The...

Financial turmoil is becoming a fact of life in Latin America. The 1990s have been characterized by enormous volatility in the magnitude and cost of capital flows. The correlation of capital swings across disparate countries suggests that the quality of emerging market policies in addition to...

(Disponible en idioma inglés únicamente) En este trabajo se pasa revista a las normas que rigen la contratación y el despido de trabajadores, así como el trabajo en tiempo extra, los aportes al régimen de seguridad social, el salario mínimo y la negociación de contratos colectivos en la...

This paper reviews the regulations governing hiring, firing, overtime work, social security contributions, minimum wages, and collective bargaining in the region, examining their impact on labor market outcomes.

This paper analyzes the recent performance of Latin American labor markets. We find that unemployment rates are on the rise in most countries and sub-regions of Latin America. The rise in unemployment over the 1990s is not driven by a higher proportion of women, adults or urban workers in the...

(Disponible en idioma inglés únicamente) El aumento de la productividad de la mano de obra se entiende como un factor crítico del aumento del crecimiento económico y la reducción de los niveles de pobreza en América Latina. Se sigue señalando a los bajos niveles de preparación como el...