COVID-19 is taking an unprecedented (albeit still unknown) toll on Caribbean region’s economic growth. According to the recently published Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin, the decline in the tourism industry will particularly affect The Bahamas, Barbados and Jamaica. Plummeting international commodity prices are having severe consequences in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and … [Read more...] about COVID-19, The Caribbean Crisis
Can Parents Recognize School Benefits Beyond Short-Run Academic Achievement?
Do you care what schools your children go to? You, I and most parents probably do, which is a bit of a paradox as there is very little evidence, i.e. scientific proof, that parental preferences for secondary schools are related to schools' causal impacts on school exit examinations. These preconceived notions of what are “the best schools” for your child can be explained by … [Read more...] about Can Parents Recognize School Benefits Beyond Short-Run Academic Achievement?
The Guyana Labor Force Survey: A Happy Reality!
Featured Image: On the left, Diether doing fieldwork in the streets of Georgetown, Guyana, July 2017, photo by Diether W. Beuermann The Guyana Labor Force Survey: A Happy Reality! By Diether Beuermann, Sharon Miller, and Clevern Liddell Imagine a Government that would like to prioritize scarce public funds for social assistance in areas with higher poverty incidence, … [Read more...] about The Guyana Labor Force Survey: A Happy Reality!
How Smart Data Management Can Solve Caribbean Policy Disputes
Administrative records are collected and stored by different public and private entities to carry out and monitor their own activities. Ministries of education collect school enrollment and academic achievement records; police departments store records of criminal activity; emigration services record movements of people in and out of the country; tax authorities collect … [Read more...] about How Smart Data Management Can Solve Caribbean Policy Disputes
Can Universal Public Health Insurance improve Adult Health Status and Labor Supply?
Recent international discussion and consensuses have emerged suggesting that universal public health insurance is a policy with potential to foster health and economic benefits. This has triggered calls for its implementation especially in countries where widespread health coverage is unlikely to be achieved through the private sector alone. For instance, the Lancet Commission … [Read more...] about Can Universal Public Health Insurance improve Adult Health Status and Labor Supply?