Raising labor productivity is recognized as a critical factor for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty levels in Latin America. Low levels of education continue to be singled out as the main obstacle to higher productivity in the region. We examine the scope for education to lift...

This paper shows that the factors affecting labor supply have been key determinants of the changes in employment, unemployment, and income differentials in Latin America in the 1990s. The two main forces driving labor supply in the region have been demographics and education.

Approximately 14 percent of births are unregistered in Latin America according to estimates by UNICEF (2001). Children who lack an official birth certificate can be denied access to social services, including enrolling in school and accessing health services. This paper examines the...

This presentation was commissioned by the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue for the VI Hemispheric Meeting celebrated on December 9th and 10th, 2003. Information systems such as SISBEN, CAS, SIPO were developed to better target beneficiaries...

This paper analyzes the evolution of gender differences in school attendance and attainment in Latin America and the Caribbean, for both adults who left the educational system and children in school. For individuals 21 years old and above the paper uses a cohort analysis of school attainment....

This paper focuses on fertility choices in Brazil, a country where soap operas (novelas) portray families that are much smaller than in reality, to study the effects of television on individual behavior. Using Census data for the period 1970-1991, the paper finds that women living in areas...

This paper documents the high level of job security protection in Latin American labor markets and analyzes its impacts on employment. The authors show that job security policies have a substantial impact on the level and the distribution of employment in Latin America. These policies reduce...

This paper analyzes the reasons behind the low rates of contribution to social security programs in developing countries. Using a large set of harmonized household surveys from Latin America we compare contribution patterns among wage employees, for whom participation is compulsory, with...

This presentation was commissioned by the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue for the V Hemispheric Meeting celebrated on May 22nd and 23rd, 2003. Developments in the labor market of the region during the nineties. Patterns of adjustment to cyclical...