The bank robberies sweeping the small towns of Brazil are swift and destructive. Teams of ten people or more from sophisticated crime syndicates hit a bank in the middle of the night, blowing open its vaults, seizing its cash, and destroying the rest of its physical infrastructure with explosives. By the time local inhabitants have risen, the criminals are long gone. The … [Read more...] about How Bank Robberies Stoke Financial Digitalization in Brazil
Microeconomics and Competitiveness
The “Tiendita” and the Survival of Microenterprises Amid Competition from Large Firms
With its bountiful assortments of everything from tomatoes and milk to cigarettes and dog food, the little grocery store or "tiendita" is as ubiquitous and cherished as the bakeries, small liquor stores, and tacos stands that dot nearly every neighborhood in Mexico's cities. But over the last 20 years, tienditas have faced significant competition from convenience chains … [Read more...] about The “Tiendita” and the Survival of Microenterprises Amid Competition from Large Firms
Health 2.0: Digitalization and the Fight Against Non-Communicable Disease
Greater incidences of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental health disorders; rising costs for treating those and other non-communicable diseases; and a tight fiscal environment after a punishing COVID-19 pandemic. Latin America and the Caribbean face these difficult health challenges in the coming decades. With an aging population and limited resources, the region … [Read more...] about Health 2.0: Digitalization and the Fight Against Non-Communicable Disease
Five Lessons on Strengthening Social Protection from Three Years of Research at the IDB’s Research Department
The events of the past three years have put low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in a bind. They need to ensure that their citizens can recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they also need to do it in the most cost-effective way so that public coffers are not drained. With this dilemma in mind, IDB researchers and … [Read more...] about Five Lessons on Strengthening Social Protection from Three Years of Research at the IDB’s Research Department
How Labor Markets Adjust to Import Competition
When competition from abroad inflicts severe shocks on a country's firms, the headlines are often about failing businesses and job losses. The shocks may come from different sources: trade reforms, competition from a foreign manufacturing powerhouse, or the entry of big retail chains from abroad. Although the trade shock is likely to bring a number of positive effects, … [Read more...] about How Labor Markets Adjust to Import Competition