We compute Public Sector Performance (PSP) and Public Sector Efficiency (PSE) indicators and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) efficiency scores for a sample of twenty-three Latin American and Caribbean Countries (LAC) to measure efficiency of public spending for the period 2001-2010. Our results...

Access to finance remains a challenge for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Argentina. It is a particularly acute problem among newly created SMEs that have a scant credit record and frequently lack collateral. The authors of this paper carried out a pilot test of an innovative psychometric...

We begin with a brief overview of Chilean firms responses to the globalization pressures originated by the economic liberalization in Chile since 1975 and in the rest of Latin America since 1985. One of these responses was the rise of Chilean outbound foreign direct investments across Latin...

This paper analyzes the effects of a firm-size dependent law, on the Mexican economy which includes a small taxpayers' regime known in Mexico as the Repecos regime. It looks for effects on macroeconomic variables and on the industrial structure, on the proportion of small firms in the economy,...

Occupational health is increasingly recognized as an important public health issue in Latin American and the Caribbean. One major concern is the absence of reliable data on its magnitude and economic consequences. The first part of the paper presents the official statistics on workplace...

The paper summarizes the similarities and differences among Asian and Latin American countries, compares their macroeconomic performances before and after the crisis, and discusses crisis prevention and management. Lessons are drawn from both Asian-type and Latin-American-type currency crises.

Working with public, private, and nonprofit sector partners, MIF has invested in the development of skills standards and certification systems with fifteen projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. The goal: to increase the competitiveness and productivity of workers and industries throughout...