|
on Central and South America |
| By: | Andr s G mez-Lobo; Daniel Oviedo |
| Abstract: | We examine three dimensions of spatial inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): between rural and urban areas (rural-urban divide), between large and small cities (metropolitan bias or centralization) and within metropolitan areas (urban segregation). As a first approach, we use information from the Luxembourg Income Study survey data to decompose an inequality measure between urban and rural areas and between large and smaller cities for 9 LAC countries and 13 developed countries. The results indicate that LAC countries are in general more unequal than developed economies along all spatial dimensions. However, there are several salient structural differences between both groups of countries worth noting. First, the rural-urban divide is much larger in absolute terms as well as relative (to overall inequality) terms in LAC compared to the developed countries in the sample. Second, there is some evidence pointing to a centralization or metropolitan bias in the LAC region compared to the developed countries. Within urban inequality measure in smaller cities is the largest decomposition term both in LAC as well as developed countries. This implies that more emphasis should be placed on poverty rates in smaller urban areas and not just large metropolitan areas. As a second approach we characterize the structure of Latin American cities with those of other regions of the world using data from the Atlas of Urban Expansion (AUE) (Blei and Angel, 2021). Finally, we also summarize some case studies to better understand the issues surrounding segregation in LAC urban areas. One feature of LAC is the concentration of the poor in informal settlements in the periphery of cities, generating unequal access to employment, education, and health services as well as other mobility related issues. Overall, we conclude that poverty has a spatial or territorial dimension in LAC that needs to be addressed. Although there is no single policy to tackle the complexity of spatial inequality, in the final section we discuss the importance of infrastructure investments and transport policies to address the issues raised in this paper. |
| Date: | 2023–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lis:liswps:869 |
| By: | Grimaldi, Daniel (George Mason University); Mitnik, Oscar A. (Inter-American Development Bank); Zimmermann, Beatrice (Inter-American Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | How does the proximity to a metro station affect urban development in Latin America? While the literature assessing the causal impacts of transportation infrastructure has grown in recent years, only a few papers have focused on the effects of metro systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, and identifying the precise impacts of such investments is far from straightforward. We apply a Synthetic Difference-in-Differences (SDiD) approach to estimate the effects of the expansion of Line 5 of the São Paulo metro system in Brazil on land use and property features. Our results show positive impacts on constructed area, with a treatment effect that is half the magnitude of the average constructed area in untreated units in the pre-treatment period. Additionally, our findings indicate an increase in the number of properties around the stations, with a shift in property composition towards more commercial units. We also find a strong anticipation effect associated with the new metro infrastructure and dynamic impacts after the opening of the first metro station, with effects that increase over time. |
| Keywords: | land use, infrastructure investments, impact evaluation |
| JEL: | R14 R40 R42 |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17414 |
| By: | Canavire Bacarreza, Gustavo J. (World Bank); Yanez, Gunnar Poppe (Johns Hopkins University) |
| Abstract: | Developing countries face significant challenges in increasing women's labor force participation and improving job quality, partly due to the substantial presence of the informal sector. This paper examines the case of Bolivia, which has the highest level of informality in Latin America. We empirically investigate whether the expansion of children's access to education in Bolivia provides an additional explanation for the reduction in female participation in the informal sector, as children attending school would require less parental supervision. Using a structural model in which mothers decide to participate in formal markets at a cost inversely related to the likelihood of their children being enrolled in school, we find that the rise in primary school enrollment in Bolivia explains up to 40% of the decline in female workers under age 40 in informal markets. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence on the positive impact of children's access to education on women's labor market outcomes in developing countries. |
| Keywords: | Bolivia, female labor force participation, structural estimation |
| JEL: | C62 D13 J12 J13 J16 J21 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17429 |
| By: | Hoffmann, Bridget; Dueñas, Juliana; Goytia, Alejandra |
| Abstract: | Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of extremely hot days. We use a panel regression framework at the sub-national (i.e., region) level to identify the effect of extreme heat on economic growth in Latin America accounting for acclimation to the season and to the local climate. Extreme heat has a negative and significant impact on economic growth, and the magnitude of the impact is increasing in the intensity and duration of heat. Our results suggest that the impact of each additional consecutive day of extreme heat is greater than the impact of the prior day. Extreme heat affects economic growth directly in addition to its indirect effect through higher seasonal mean temperatures and extreme heat could account for 34-68% of the total projected reduction in the annual economic growth rate at midcentury due to temperature change. Our results suggest that extreme heat is one potential channel for the documented non-linearity in the impacts of rising mean temperature. |
| Keywords: | extreme heat;heat waves;economic growth |
| JEL: | Q5 Q54 Q51 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13810 |
| By: | Verónica Amarante (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Paula Barro (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Maira Colacce (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes trends in gender inequalities in time use in Uruguay between 2007 and 2021 based on three time-use surveys (2007, 2013 and 2021). The results show that, while gender gaps have slowly narrowed, women continue to have a higher unpaid workload and a lower paid workload than men. These inequalities are larger in households with children and at lower socioeconomic levels. Despite the persistence of these overall patterns, some interesting changes are detected over the period. The study reveals increases in women’s paid work alongside decreases in hours of unpaid work. This decline in women's unpaid work is due to a decrease in domestic work between 2007-2013, and a decrease in care work between 2013-2021. The latter appears to be primarily associated with a decrease in fertility rates and the extension of early childhood care services. There is also a convergence in care patterns among women of different educational levels. Finally, an increase in men's housework is detected, with a significant increase for those between 60 and 74 years old. It is important to continue monitoring time use trends and to deepen the analysis of the factors that condition gender inequalities to generate relevant information for public policy design. |
| Keywords: | Gender inequalities, Time-use surveys, Unpaid work |
| JEL: | J2 D13 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulr:wpaper:dt-11-24 |
| By: | Verónica Amarante (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y de Administración. Instituto de Economía); Marisa Bucheli (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Sociales); Tatiana Pérez (Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Facultad de Ciencias Sociales) |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the link between the ideological profile of Uruguayan economists and their opinions regarding inequality and discrimination. Drawing on data from an online survey of Uruguayan economists, we explore the links between their economic opinions and three dimensions of ideology: political orientation, sexist attitudes (benevolent and hostile sexism), and pro-market views. Economists' opinions encompass diagnostic assessments of inequality and discrimination, as well as views on specific policies designed to address these issues. Using ordered probit models, we find that right-wing political ideology, hostile sexism, and pro-market attitudes are associated with a lower likelihood of agreeing that income distribution in Uruguay should be more equitable and that women face barriers to full-time employment. These ideological factors are also linked to a higher likelihood of believing that there are equal gender and race opportunities in Uruguay. Benevolent sexism exhibits a more mixed relationship with opinions on inequality and discrimination. Furthermore, we show that economists' diagnoses of inequality and discrimination mediate the relationship between ideological variables and their policy preferences. Our results point to the need for greater introspection within the discipline regarding the influence of personal values and beliefs on economic analysis and policy recommendations. Our findings challenge the notion of economics as a purely objective and unbiased discipline, revealing significant associations between ideological factors, economists' perceptions of inequality and discrimination, and their support for specific policies. |
| Keywords: | Ideology, Discrimination, Sexism, Inequality |
| JEL: | A13 D63 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulr:wpaper:dt-07-24 |