In a small neighborhood on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, a new grocery quietly opens its doors. Within weeks, prices at nearby shops fall and customers report better service. Far away, in Mexico City’s sprawling suburbs, the arrival of retail chain stores tells a similar story. As convenience-store chains spread from 2,000 to more than 23,000 outlets over two decades, they … [Read more...] about Corner Shops and the Cost of Market Power: Lessons from Latin America
Matías Busso
Matias Busso is a Lead Economist in the Research Department at the Inter-American Development Bank. He is also a Research Fellow at the Center for Distributive, Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS) and a member of the executing committee of the Network of Inequality and Poverty of LACEA. His research uses empirical evidence and theory to inform the design of more effective public policies in areas related to labor, education, and productivity. Matias received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan in 2008. He has published articles in the American Economic Review and The Review of Economics and Statistics, among others.
When Market Power Meets the Rainforest
In the depths of the Amazon, market power takes unexpected forms. Far from the corporate boardrooms of São Paulo or New York, economic concentration can determine whether small producers thrive, whether forests stand, and whether communities escape poverty. Two recent studies on the Amazon—one on fishing communities, the other on the cattle industry—show how unequal … [Read more...] about When Market Power Meets the Rainforest
How Do Latin American Urban Migrants Fare in their Destination Cities?
Urban migration is a powerful force in the economic landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean. As we highlight in "Rethinking Urban Migration," urban migrants play an important role in the economic vitality of the cities they move to, contributing productive labor, creating jobs, paying taxes, and stimulating local economic growth. For that reason, understanding how … [Read more...] about How Do Latin American Urban Migrants Fare in their Destination Cities?
Easing Housing Constraints to Urban Migration
For six decades, migrants have been pouring into the cities of Latin America and the Caribbean, boosting the percentage of the urban population from 50% to 80%, and delivering large benefits, including greater specialization, competition, innovation and entrepreneurship, to the region's metropolitan centers. But while migration to cities often results in significant gains, … [Read more...] about Easing Housing Constraints to Urban Migration
Internal Migration: The Heartbeat of Urban Expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean
The bold headlines about emigration in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years have centered mostly on Venezuela and Haiti, as the economic crisis in the first country and an earthquake in the second sent large waves of people into other countries of the region, causing international migration there to soar from 5.7 million to 10.7 million between 2015 and … [Read more...] about Internal Migration: The Heartbeat of Urban Expansion in Latin America and the Caribbean