https://www.caf.com/en/knowledge/ CAFs management inKnowledge https://www.caf.com/en/knowledge/ https://www.caf.com/media/4662825/caforiginalcaribeh-eng.svg en-US Copyright 2026 CAF Knowledge/sustainable development/Latinamerica/Conocimiento umbraco 7.15.6 sciotecaItem Since 2007, each edition of the annual Latin American Economic Outlook (LEO) has analysed the main challenges facing the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region in its transition towards sustainable and inclusive development, comparing the region’s performance with that of its peers, providing policy recommendations and offering experiences for policy learning and regional co-operation. This 19th edition, Towards Better Integration in a Changing Global Economy, examines how ongoing global transformations are reshaping development opportunities for LAC. The report argues that the region is well positioned to seize emerging opportunities, provided it strengthens its integration both within the region and with global markets. It advocates for a smart integration strategy focused on economic sectors and corridors with the potential to boost production, strengthen regional and global value chains, and serve as a catalyst for deeper participation in the world economy. Finally, the report highlights the need to improve enabling conditions, including infrastructure, skills and regulatory frameworks, while mobilising strategic financing, attracting quality foreign direct investment and strengthening international partnerships that expand access to markets, technology, knowledge and financing, supporting a more sustainable and inclusive development path. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2745 Tue, 10 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2745 sciotecaItem Latin America and the Caribbean is a region of remarkable diversity, significant contrasts, and vast potential. Its natural and human resources position it to contribute to addressing global challenges such as climate change, sustainable development, and food security. Despite these strengths, limited regional integration and fragmented efforts have often constrained its global influence. The text emphasizes the importance of fostering cooperation, dialogue, and shared long-term objectives among governments, businesses, and institutions to strengthen the region’s development. It also highlights the value of spaces for reflection and exchange, where diverse stakeholders can discuss strategies for achieving more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient economic growth, while identifying practical solutions to the region’s most pressing challenges and opportunities. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2742 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2742 sciotecaItem This issue highlights the importance of solidarity, resilience, and cooperation as essential pillars for overcoming crises and building a more prosperous future. Through reflections on the challenges that can affect societies, it emphasizes the ability of individuals and communities to unite, support one another, and strengthen their bonds in times of adversity. The publication also underscores the value of regional integration as a means of fostering economic, social, and human development, encouraging collaboration among countries to address shared challenges and create common opportunities. Overall, the magazine conveys that stronger ties of cooperation and collective action are key to achieving more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient societies. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2739 Thu, 05 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2739 sciotecaItem Gender gaps in Latin American and Caribbean labor markets extend beyond sectoral participation to differences in skills, career progression, and leadership representation. Using LinkedIn aggregate data, this study examines dimensions rarely captured in labor force surveys, including seniority, skills, AI-related competencies, and STEM occupations. The findings show that women are underrepresented across most industries and seniority levels, particularly in leadership positions. Skill profiles also differ by gender: women are more likely to report soft and business skills, while men tend to report technology-related and disruptive-technology skills. Women are further underrepresented in AI competencies, including both AI engineering and AI literacy. In STEM fields, gender gaps emerge in reported skills, the transition from STEM education to employment, and career advancement. Overall, the evidence highlights persistent gender inequality across sectors, organizational hierarchies, and professional skill portfolios in the region. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2736 Wed, 04 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2736 sciotecaItem This paper studies the effects of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (D&AI) on labor markets in developing countries, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where informality is prevalent. Drawing on formal models and the empirical literature, it reviews the determinants of informality and the channels through which D&AI shocks affect labor markets. The paper’s central argument is a two-way interaction: high informality lim its the transformative effects of D&AI due to weak adoption incentives, while technological progress does not necessarily reduce informality. Although productivity improvements and skill upgrading are formalizing forces, these are offset by automation-driven displacement, the expansion of the gig economy, and increased labor turnover. The paper concludes that the net effect on informality is ambiguous and likely context-dependent. Reducing infor mality under technological shocks will probably require revisiting labor market institutions, policies, and the regulation of platform-based work http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2732 Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2732 sciotecaItem The introduction of Pix, Brazil’s instant digital payment system, has contributed to greater firm formalization and strengthened tax collection by increasing the traceability of economic transactions. Evidence from municipalities with higher exposure to digital services shows a rise in participation in the corporate tax system, reflected in a 0.15 percentage point increase in the share of corporate taxpayers. In contrast, the proportion of individual income tax filers remained unchanged, suggesting that the main effect of digital payments has been to encourage businesses to formalize and transition toward legal entities rather than expanding household participation in the tax system. These changes have also translated into higher tax revenues, including a 6.3% increase in corporate income tax revenue per capita relative to the sample average. The findings highlight the potential of digital payment systems to enhance fiscal capacity, promote formalization, and support more effective revenue mobilization. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2733 Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2733 sciotecaItem Gender wage gaps among college graduates persist partly because men and women continue to sort into different fields of study. This paper examines how parental occupations shape these choices using administrative data on entrants to Uruguay’s main public university between 2017 and 2020. We distinguish between two dimensions of intergenerational transmission: persistence in a parent’s occupational field and associations with the gender composition of educational choices. We find that approximately one-quarter of students enroll in a field related to a parent’s occupation. Field-specific persistence is strongest between fathers and sons, while mothers’ occupational gender composition is associated with the gender composition of degree choices for both daughters and sons. The results suggest that different parental characteristics influence distinct dimensions of educational specialization, contributing to the persistence of gender segregation in higher education and, ultimately, in labor market outcomes. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2731 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2731 sciotecaItem The Mexico Tourism Investment Guide, developed through a collaboration between the Government of Mexico, UN Tourism, and CAF, presents a comprehensive overview of investment opportunities in one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse tourism destinations. The guide highlights Mexico’s key competitive advantages, including its rich natural and cultural heritage, strategic geographic location, modern infrastructure, and the significant contribution of tourism to economic growth and employment generation. It also outlines a renewed vision for tourism development centered on sustainability, social inclusion, climate resilience, and community participation, promoting responsible investment that enhances competitiveness while preserving cultural and environmental assets. By providing insights into the country’s tourism landscape and strategic investment opportunities, the guide serves as a valuable resource for public and private stakeholders seeking to support sustainable growth, community well-being, and shared prosperity across Mexico. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2729 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2729 sciotecaItem Approximately half of workers in Mexico and Colombia are employed in informal jobs that lack social security coverage, retirement savings schemes, and other legally mandated benefits. Determining whether this pattern reflects workers’ preferences or labor market constraints is difficult using wage and employment data alone. We implement a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with quota samples of full-time workers, in which respondents repeatedly choose between hypothetical job offers whose wages and up to ten non-wage attributes are independently randomized. This design identifies the causal weight of each formality-related benefit in workers’ stated preferences, measured through Average Marginal Component Effects (AMCEs) and willingness to pay (WTP) expressed in wage-equivalent terms. Health insurance coverage and pension contributions receive the highest valuations, although their relative ranking differs across countries: health insurance is valued most highly in Mexico, whereas pension contributions rank first in Colombia. Most of the estimated value derives from having access to the benefit itself rather than from its level of generosity. In the Colombian pension system, the minimum number of contribution weeks required to qualify for a pension is at least as important as the contribution rate. We also compare our survey subsamples with the official labor force surveys of each country to assess their comparability and representativeness. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2725 Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2725 sciotecaItem Latin America and the Caribbean is the most urbanized region in the world, the result of decades of migration from rural areas to cities driven by industrialization, the search for better opportunities, and inequalities in access to basic services. However, the region possesses enormous rural potential due to its abundance of natural resources, fertile land, water, and biodiversity, positioning it as a strategic player in global food security and sustainable development. Despite these advantages, rural areas continue to face high levels of poverty, limited access to public services, and fewer formal employment opportunities. The report highlights how sectors such as agriculture, mining linked to the energy transition, tourism, the bioeconomy, renewable energy, and value-added natural resource industries can become key drivers of growth and inclusion. Nevertheless, realizing these opportunities will require overcoming challenges related to land tenure, infrastructure, innovation, and climate change. In this context, the report calls for coordinated action and effective policies to reduce territorial disparities and transform rural development into a source of shared prosperity across the region. http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2720 Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2720