Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programmes have been extensively used by many governments worldwide with the dual purpose of alleviating poverty in the short term and increasing investment in human capital for children from poor families, so that they can achieve better living conditions in the...

Os Programas de Transferência Condicionada de Renda (PTCs) têm sido, amplamente, utilizados por vários governos de todo o mundo, com o objetivo duplo de aliviar a pobreza no curto prazo e aumentar o investimento em capital humano voltado para as crianças de famílias pobres, para que elas...

This paper evaluates the impact of the 2007 expansion of the Bolsa Família programme to families with youths aged 16 to 17 years (Benefício Variável Jovem) on the time allocation of youths and on the labour supply of adults. The differences-in-difference estimator was used to compare...

This paper examines the relationship between trade liberalization and the evolution of the demand for skill in Brazil during the past decade. We use matched employer-employee panel data to test the hypothesis that the reduction in input tariffs made it easier for Brazilian firms to acquire...

Technical education and training has been dramatically expanding in Brazil recently. However, there remains no evidence on the cost effectiveness of this alternative track to a more general education. This paper quantifies the wage returns of completing technical and vocational education and...

The subject of labor unions in Latin America provokes a variety of diverse and strongly held views. While some see unions as a way to protect workers' rights and ensure an equitable distribution of income, others see unions as a drain of productivity or an intrusion of politics into the...

This book uses micro-level data for 18 Latin American countries to examine the choices adolescents make in three areas of behavior: their time allocation toward school and work, their sexual behavior and fertility, and their adoption of adult roles as they marry or cohabitate. Analyzing these...