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on Central and South America |
| By: | Elisa Failache (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Noemí Katzkowicz (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Cecilia Parada (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Martina Querejeta (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Tatiana Rosá (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Facultad de Economía y Administración. Departamento de Economía) |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic affected people’s lives in several domains. This study provides evidence of the pandemic’s gendered effects on university enrollment and major choices. Using novel administrative records of university students in Uruguay, we conduct a counterfactual exercise that demonstrates a negative correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and university enrollment. Heterogeneities across fields reveal a positive effect on enrollment in Social Sciences, yet null or even negative effects in Health and Science. These results are driven by male students. For women, we observe an increase in enrollment, particularly in Science. Notably, women are more likely to opt for Science-related majors over Social Sciences. Our results suggest that the recent crisis helped reduce the gender gap in major choices. |
| Keywords: | COVID-19, University enrollment, Major choices, Educational gender gap |
| JEL: | I23 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulr:wpaper:dt-05-24 |
| By: | Marín Llanes, Lucas (Universidad de los Andes); Fernández Sierra, Manuel (Universidad de los Andes); Vélez Lesmes, María Alejandra (Universidad de los Andes); Martínez González, Eduard (Superintendencia de Economía Solidaria); Murillo Sandoval, Paulo (Universidad del Tolima) |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the socio-economic effects of Colombia’s recent coca cultivation boom, exploiting municipal variations in production incentives following the 2014 announcement of the coca crop substitution program. Using a difference-in-differences strategy with satellite-derived night-time light data as a proxy for economic activity, we find that a one standard deviation increase in coca crops resulted in a 2.5% to 3.1% increase in municipality-level GDP. We also estimate local GDP multipliers, showing that each additional dollar from coca leaf and coca base sales raises GDP by $1.17 to $2.30 and $0.86 to $1.63, respectively. Although the coca boom did not significantly affect local fiscal revenues, violence indicators, or land used for agricultural production, it had substantial environmental impacts, with deforestation rates increasing by 104% and a 302% rise in land conversion from coca cultivation to cattle pastures in the Colombian Amazon. Our findings underscore the significance of illicit economies in providing short-term economic gains and acting as catalysts for economic activity. |
| Keywords: | Illicit Economies; Economic growth; Coca Cultivation; Deforestation; Colombia |
| JEL: | K42 O13 O17 Q34 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–08–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:021186 |
| By: | Jaqueline Terra Marins; Marta Baltar Areosa; José Valentim Machado Vicente |
| Abstract: | The Covid-19 pandemic period was unprecedented. In this paper, we analyze the behavior of the Brazilian real exchange rate during that period. To this end, we estimate an equilibrium |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bcb:wpaper:596 |