nep-iue New Economics Papers
on Informal and Underground Economics
Issue of 2026–04–20
three papers chosen by
Catalina Granda Carvajal, Banco de la República


  1. Macroeconomic Effects of the Minimum Wage in an Emerging Economy with Labor Informality By Oscar Iván Ávila-Montealegre; Juan J. OspinaTejeiro; Anderson Grajales-Olarte; Mario A. Ramos-Veloza
  2. FACTORS AFFECTING E-INVOICE FRAUD: EVIDENCE FROM VIETNAM By Le, Xuan Truong; Nguyen, Hoang Tuan; Nguyen-Phung, Hang Thu; Le, Anh Tuan
  3. Does Tax Transparency Influence Wage Setting?. Evidence on Gender Gaps By Cristiano C. Carvalho; Trine E. Vattø

  1. By: Oscar Iván Ávila-Montealegre; Juan J. OspinaTejeiro; Anderson Grajales-Olarte; Mario A. Ramos-Veloza
    Abstract: We analyze how the minimum wage affects a typical emerging economy with high labor informality. Using an extended New Keynesian small open economy model, we find that an unexpected increase in the minimum wage disproportionately affects low-skilled workers, with limited effects on inflation and the monetary policy rate. A higher minimum wage raises production costs and induces the substitution of formal workers with informal labor and machinery, leading to lower output, employment, and net exports. We also find that the existence of a minimum wage alters the transmission of productivity, demand, and monetary shocks, resulting in a more persistent impact on macroeconomic variables and lower effectiveness of monetary policy in controlling inflation. While the minimum wage mitigates consumption inequality in the short run, it increases employment volatility. The macroeconomic implications of minimum wages are significant, and the mechanisms differ from those highlighted in the literature for advanced economies.
    Keywords: DSGE model, minimum wage, informal labor markets, monetary policy, heterogeneous agents
    JEL: E13 E50 J31 J46
    Date: 2025–12
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rbp:wpaper:2025-018
  2. By: Le, Xuan Truong; Nguyen, Hoang Tuan; Nguyen-Phung, Hang Thu; Le, Anh Tuan
    Abstract: This paper reflects the results of a survey of businesses in Vietnam to understand the factors affecting e-invoice fraud. Using survey data from Vietnamese enterprises and hypothesis testing grounded in fraud theories, this study examines key determinants of einvoice fraud. In parallel, it reviews the current legal and institutional framework governing einvoice management in Vietnam. Based on the empirical findings, the paper proposes policy recommendations in three areas: (i) strengthening the legal framework, (ii) enhancing information technology applications, and (iii) improving tax audit effectiveness.
    Keywords: E-invoice, Fraud, Prevention, Legal Framework
    Date: 2026–03
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:agi:wpaper:02000270
  3. By: Cristiano C. Carvalho; Trine E. Vattø (Statistics Norway)
    Abstract: This paper examines how an often-overlooked source of pay transparency—the public disclosure of tax information—affects gender wage gaps. We exploit a 2001 change in Norway that made individual tax returns searchable online. Using matched employer–employee data and a difference in-differences design, we find that within-firm gender wage gaps fell by 2.2 percentage points (8.7 percent), driven by rising female wages. Effects are strongest in private-sector firms, industries with initially larger gaps, and municipalities that previously lacked easy access to printed tax lists. Wage gains are concentrated among job-changing women, suggesting that broad-based transparency mainly operates through improved information for job search.
    Keywords: Gender Wage Gap; Income Transparency; Public Disclosure of Tax Information
    JEL: J16 J31 J38
    Date: 2026–02
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ssb:dispap:1033

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