As COVID-19 struck the developing world, governments imposed mobility restrictions to reduce contagion, causing severe disruptions in labor markets. In Latin America and the Caribbean, where 57% of all workers hold informal jobs that often require them to be physically present, nearly half of the labor force was compelled to stop work in the first phases of the … [Read more...] about How the COVID Pandemic Affected Automation and Labor Markets in Peru
#pandemic
Policy Options for Combating Pandemics in Informal Settlements
Pandemics, while devastating for populations at large, deliver a disproportionate impact when they sweep through the dense informal settlements of developing countries with their narrow alleyways and broken dwellings. Death rates, high everywhere, soared through such places during the COVID-19 crisis. Until recently, however, no research had been conducted on the role of … [Read more...] about Policy Options for Combating Pandemics in Informal Settlements
Disabilities, the Pandemic, and the Pursuit of Tertiary Education
Over the last two decades, Chile has made efforts to boost educational inclusion in schools among young people with disabilities, extending opportunities to this vulnerable group which tends to have lower labor force participation, employment and wages in part because of a significant educational gap. Today, around two-thirds of students with disabilities attend mainstream … [Read more...] about Disabilities, the Pandemic, and the Pursuit of Tertiary Education
Digital Finance and Pandemic Remittances
Remittances, or the money sent by migrants to their home countries, have always played a crucial role in the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean. That became particularly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, with much of the region’s economies on life support in mid- to late 2020. Against this backdrop, remittances acted as an automatic stabilizer, supporting local … [Read more...] about Digital Finance and Pandemic Remittances