This paper examines whether labor productivity converged across Peru's regions ("departments") during 2002-12. Given the large differences in labor productivity across the regions of Peru, such convergence has the potential to raise aggregate productivity and incomes, and also reduce regional...

This paper uses a unique firm-level data set for Mexico, with information never used for research before, to assess how use of information technology (IT henceforth) influences firm performance. Further, the paper explores if, in the context of increasing competition from China, this effect is...

This paper presents a set of stylized facts on the relation between information and communications technology (ICT) use, firm performance, and competition. Taking advantage of a novel firm-level data set on information and communications technology for Mexico, the study finds that firms facing...

This study examines whether jobs created as a result of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows can be considered to be good jobs both from the worker's and the country's perspective. For the worker, such jobs are likely to pay higher wages than jobs in indigenous firms in developing countries,...

This paper reviews alternative approaches to measuring an economy''s cost competitiveness and proposes some new measures inspired by the economic theory of index numbers. The indices provide a theoretical benchmark for estimated real effective exchange rates, but differ from standard measures in...