International trade is often hailed as a driver of economic growth and consumer welfare. Yet, despite its economy-wide benefits, it remains divisive and politically contentious - especially when it comes to employment. Part of this dynamic has to do with the fact that trade helps firms which are export-oriented but hurts firms that compete with imports. Given that people are … [Read more...] about How Employment Narratives Shape Public Support for Trade
Razvan Vlaicu
Razvan Vlaicu is a senior economist in the Research Department at the Inter-American Development Bank. His research interests are in public economics and political economics, with a focus on the role of governance and institutions in economic development. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Northwestern University, taught economics at the University of Maryland, and held short-term positions at the Kellogg School of Management and the World Bank. His research has been published in journals such as the Review of Economic Studies, American Political Science Review, Journal of International Economics, and Journal of Public Economics.
Can AI Technologies Help Expand Credit Access?
Despite the proliferation of digital technologies in daily market transactions, about 45% of Latin America's population do not use bank accounts, and credit access for individuals and firms is limited. Technologies based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help change that. AI can efficiently incorporate big data into credit risk assessments, allowing financial institutions … [Read more...] about Can AI Technologies Help Expand Credit Access?
What Happens to Small Firms When Big Banks Go Digital?
In Latin America and the Caribbean, a region historically marked by financial exclusion, a rapid shift to digital banking in the last decade has created new opportunities for credit provision to underserved populations. But the transformation, accompanied by a reduction in traditional banking infrastructure, such as physical branches, is not without its risks and … [Read more...] about What Happens to Small Firms When Big Banks Go Digital?
The Governance Dimension of Persistent Inequality in Latin America
Despite decades of democratic governance and policy reforms, economic inequality in Latin America remains a stubborn reality. Concentrated income and wealth among the richest 10% of the population has left the poorest 10% with less than 2% of total income. The disparities have endured for the last 30 years, even in relatively stable democracies like Chile, Colombia, and … [Read more...] about The Governance Dimension of Persistent Inequality in Latin America
Why Are Remittance Costs Still High?
Personal remittances from migrant workers are disproportionately important to the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean. Home to only 8% of the global population, the region receives 18% of global remittances, and since 2020 remittances there have grown more than twice as fast as remittances globally. In some of the region’s poorest countries, remittance receipts amount … [Read more...] about Why Are Remittance Costs Still High?