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
Microeconomics and Competitiveness
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
Can Improving Market Access Spur Small Business Growth and Jobs in Latin America?
While micro and small firms account for a big share of overall employment in Latin America and the Caribbean, they often struggle to grow in part because they lack skills or encounter other difficulties in selling their goods and services to buyers. This limits the size of markets they can access. For example, data from the World Enterprise Surveys shows that only 6.7% of … [Read more...] about Can Improving Market Access Spur Small Business Growth and Jobs in Latin America?
The Unexpected Ripple Effects of Disability Employment Quotas
In 1991, Brazil passed a landmark Quota Law intended to promote the hiring of people with disabilities and overcome some of the obstacles they face in the labor market. But the law, calling on companies employing more than 100 workers to allocate at least 2% of jobs to people with disabilities, came up short. It lacked compliance or enforcement, and by 2009 less than one-third … [Read more...] about The Unexpected Ripple Effects of Disability Employment Quotas