Despite comprising less than 1% of all firms worldwide, multinational firms, companies that operate across multiple countries, drive roughly half of all international trade, contribute one-third of global output and GDP, and provide a quarter of global employment. Their role is particularly crucial in regions like Latin America and the Caribbean, where they have … [Read more...] about How Barriers to Trade Shape Knowledge Transfer Across Borders
Handing Out Laptops Is Not Enough to Improve Student Learning
In 2012, we published a study showing that an ambitious and expensive program involving the disbursement of free laptops to primary school students generated few academic gains after 15 months of laptop exposure. The report, examining the One Laptop per Child initiative launched by Peru's government, generated much discussion in Peru and around the world given that many … [Read more...] about Handing Out Laptops Is Not Enough to Improve Student Learning
Tackling Informality in Brazil: The Hidden Costs of Labor Inspections
Brazil's Ministry of Labor does not take labor informality lightly, carrying out inspections and cracking down on the many businesses that hire workers “off the books.” While these inspections are often successful in catching and penalizing firms that avoid the costly regulations involved in hiring formal workers, they also come with surprising, not always positive, side … [Read more...] about Tackling Informality in Brazil: The Hidden Costs of Labor Inspections
How Water Expenditures Burden Low-Income Households Disproportionately in Latin America
In recent decades, Latin America's water and sanitation infrastructure has expanded to the point that around 90% of the urban population has access to improved water services and, as a result, the region seems to be advancing towards two of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all and a reduction in … [Read more...] about How Water Expenditures Burden Low-Income Households Disproportionately in Latin America
Sowing the Seeds of Inclusion for People with Disabilities
People with disabilities represent about 15% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean, or around 88 million people (as of 2020), and are expected to grow in numbers to 150 million by mid-century. But there are numerous areas of life where this large group of people has not been sufficiently included and, as a result, are unable to maximize their potential or fully … [Read more...] about Sowing the Seeds of Inclusion for People with Disabilities