This essay examines the influence of the informal economy on the reach of government interventions in public health crises. It reports the results of an analysis of the self‐reported suspension of business operations during the pandemic, as well as a district‐level analysis of the changing patterns in community movement in response to the lockdown in India in March 2020. We find that informal establishments were less likely to suspend their operations and that the prevalence of the informal economy weakened the behavioral response of the communities to social distancing measures. In addition to bringing to light an understudied facet of the societal response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, this result demonstrates the importance of economic institutions for understanding public governance.
{"title":"The informal economy and the reach of policy interventions: Evidence from the COVID‐19 lockdown in India","authors":"Andrei Zhirnov, Abdul Basit Adeel","doi":"10.1111/rode.13129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13129","url":null,"abstract":"This essay examines the influence of the informal economy on the reach of government interventions in public health crises. It reports the results of an analysis of the self‐reported suspension of business operations during the pandemic, as well as a district‐level analysis of the changing patterns in community movement in response to the lockdown in India in March 2020. We find that informal establishments were less likely to suspend their operations and that the prevalence of the informal economy weakened the behavioral response of the communities to social distancing measures. In addition to bringing to light an understudied facet of the societal response to the COVID‐19 pandemic, this result demonstrates the importance of economic institutions for understanding public governance.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141570813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While a lot has been written on the socio‐economic and welfare impacts of agricultural technologies, there has been a bias toward crop production systems to the neglect of improved livestock production methods and technologies. This paper explores the welfare impacts of improved livestock production practices and technologies using data from a low‐income country. Using an econometrics technique that corrects selection bias, the paper shows that the adoption of improved livestock production practices has a positive impact on household welfare, measured by consumption expenditure and diet quality. The study also identified increased consumption of animal source foods, reducing animal death and income from the sale of animals as potential mechanisms through which such improvements in livestock production affect family welfare.
{"title":"Improved livestock production system and welfare in rural Ethiopia","authors":"Musa Hasen Ahmed, Wondimagegn Mesfin Tesfaye","doi":"10.1111/rode.13127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13127","url":null,"abstract":"While a lot has been written on the socio‐economic and welfare impacts of agricultural technologies, there has been a bias toward crop production systems to the neglect of improved livestock production methods and technologies. This paper explores the welfare impacts of improved livestock production practices and technologies using data from a low‐income country. Using an econometrics technique that corrects selection bias, the paper shows that the adoption of improved livestock production practices has a positive impact on household welfare, measured by consumption expenditure and diet quality. The study also identified increased consumption of animal source foods, reducing animal death and income from the sale of animals as potential mechanisms through which such improvements in livestock production affect family welfare.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141547695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Despite the advent of trade liberalisation, trade taxes still remain a key source of tax revenues in sub‐Saharan Africa. Further trade reforms in the form of the African Continental Free Trade Area could, however, hinder output growth in the region if these reforms lead to a decline in total tax revenues. Motivated by this conundrum, this paper investigates the impact of trade liberalisation on tax revenues across a panel of sub‐Saharan African countries. The results indicate that trade liberalisation is associated with an increase in total tax revenues. Also, the reduction of import and export duties significantly increases and decreases domestic and trade tax revenues, respectively. In addition, greater urbanisation is associated with an increase in total tax revenues, while inflation decreases tax revenues.
{"title":"The tax revenue implication of trade liberalisation in sub‐Saharan Africa: Some new evidence","authors":"Olanrewaju Kassim","doi":"10.1111/rode.13106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13106","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the advent of trade liberalisation, trade taxes still remain a key source of tax revenues in sub‐Saharan Africa. Further trade reforms in the form of the African Continental Free Trade Area could, however, hinder output growth in the region if these reforms lead to a decline in total tax revenues. Motivated by this conundrum, this paper investigates the impact of trade liberalisation on tax revenues across a panel of sub‐Saharan African countries. The results indicate that trade liberalisation is associated with an increase in total tax revenues. Also, the reduction of import and export duties significantly increases and decreases domestic and trade tax revenues, respectively. In addition, greater urbanisation is associated with an increase in total tax revenues, while inflation decreases tax revenues.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140886981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Digital tools are increasingly being used in welfare programmes to reduce corruption and increase transparency. Banerjee et al. (2020, E‐governance, accountability, and leakage in public programmes: experimental evidence from a financial management reform in India. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180302) evaluate the effectiveness of one such intervention. In a later section of their paper, they use a Two‐Way Fixed Effects (TWFE) specification to examine the consequences of the nationwide scale of an electronic funds management system in India's workfare programme, and report that it reduced expenditures by 19%. The present paper extends its analysis by (a) exploiting the recent literature that disaggregates the TWFE coefficient in the presence of staggered treatment timing to pinpoint sources of identifying variation and (b) attempting to uncover heterogeneity in treatment effects. We find that certain problematic comparisons have a large weight in the TWFE coefficient. Further, an event study analysis of the six constituent and valid comparisons shows that there is no support for parallel trends, so lag coefficients cannot be vested with causal interpretation. Our results imply that large‐scale evaluations, because of the very diversity they encompass, need to explicitly account for the factors that are responsible for programme effectiveness.
{"title":"Did the nationwide implementation of electronic fund management in the Indian employment guarantee scheme result in reduced expenditures? A re‐examination of the evidence","authors":"Deepti Goel, J. V. Meenakshi, Zaeen de Souza","doi":"10.1111/rode.13105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13105","url":null,"abstract":"Digital tools are increasingly being used in welfare programmes to reduce corruption and increase transparency. Banerjee et al. (2020, E‐governance, accountability, and leakage in public programmes: experimental evidence from a financial management reform in India. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\" xlink:href=\"https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180302\">https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20180302</jats:ext-link>) evaluate the effectiveness of one such intervention. In a later section of their paper, they use a Two‐Way Fixed Effects (TWFE) specification to examine the consequences of the nationwide scale of an electronic funds management system in India's workfare programme, and report that it reduced expenditures by 19%. The present paper extends its analysis by (a) exploiting the recent literature that disaggregates the TWFE coefficient in the presence of staggered treatment timing to pinpoint sources of identifying variation and (b) attempting to uncover heterogeneity in treatment effects. We find that certain problematic comparisons have a large weight in the TWFE coefficient. Further, an event study analysis of the six constituent and valid comparisons shows that there is no support for parallel trends, so lag coefficients cannot be vested with causal interpretation. Our results imply that large‐scale evaluations, because of the very diversity they encompass, need to explicitly account for the factors that are responsible for programme effectiveness.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Masanori Matsuura‐Kannari, Abu Hayat Md. Saiful Islam, Salauddin Tauseef
The widespread adoption of mobile phones (MPs) presents the possibility of creating employment and self‐employment opportunities. Although several studies have documented the impact of MPs on income, the link between MP ownership and poverty reduction channeled by income diversification has not been fully explored. This paper aims to examine this relationship using nationally representative panel data and fixed effect models to account for confounding factors and unobserved heterogeneity. Results indicate that MP ownership is associated with increased income diversification, particularly through on‐farm and off‐farm self‐employment, as well as non‐earned income. This relationship is more pronounced in households with lower levels of education and deprived areas. In addition, owning a MP is also found to decrease poverty via income diversification. Therefore, policies aimed at enhancing access to mobile technologies could create a resilient income portfolio by decreasing transaction costs and improving market efficiency, ultimately mitigating poverty in rural regions.
{"title":"Mobile phones, income diversification, and poverty reduction in rural Bangladesh","authors":"Masanori Matsuura‐Kannari, Abu Hayat Md. Saiful Islam, Salauddin Tauseef","doi":"10.1111/rode.13110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13110","url":null,"abstract":"The widespread adoption of mobile phones (MPs) presents the possibility of creating employment and self‐employment opportunities. Although several studies have documented the impact of MPs on income, the link between MP ownership and poverty reduction channeled by income diversification has not been fully explored. This paper aims to examine this relationship using nationally representative panel data and fixed effect models to account for confounding factors and unobserved heterogeneity. Results indicate that MP ownership is associated with increased income diversification, particularly through on‐farm and off‐farm self‐employment, as well as non‐earned income. This relationship is more pronounced in households with lower levels of education and deprived areas. In addition, owning a MP is also found to decrease poverty via income diversification. Therefore, policies aimed at enhancing access to mobile technologies could create a resilient income portfolio by decreasing transaction costs and improving market efficiency, ultimately mitigating poverty in rural regions.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study evaluates the role of growth in poverty reduction within the sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) region in direct comparison to other global regions along time‐delineated thresholds. The study's results show (i) A significant gulf in the performance of SSA economies in comparison to their global cohorts; (ii) An improved role played by growth after the mid‐2000s for poverty reduction in SSA; (iii) A less deleterious impact of rising income inequality on poverty reduction within the SSA sub‐region relative to other global regions, and (iv) An improved performance of resource‐dependent SSA economies in translating growth to poverty reduction since the mid‐2000s. The convergence in growth‐induced poverty reduction between SSA and its global cohorts energizes prospects for attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating global extreme poverty by 2030; it however also calls for renewed strategies toward improving the efficacy of growth in future poverty reduction within the sub‐region.
{"title":"Re‐evaluating Africa's growth, poverty and inequality nexus","authors":"Babatunde Aiyemo","doi":"10.1111/rode.13107","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13107","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluates the role of growth in poverty reduction within the sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) region in direct comparison to other global regions along time‐delineated thresholds. The study's results show (i) A significant gulf in the performance of SSA economies in comparison to their global cohorts; (ii) An improved role played by growth after the mid‐2000s for poverty reduction in SSA; (iii) A less deleterious impact of rising income inequality on poverty reduction within the SSA sub‐region relative to other global regions, and (iv) An improved performance of resource‐dependent SSA economies in translating growth to poverty reduction since the mid‐2000s. The <jats:italic>convergence</jats:italic> in growth‐induced poverty reduction between SSA and its global cohorts energizes prospects for attaining the Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating global extreme poverty by 2030; it however also calls for renewed strategies toward improving the efficacy of growth in future poverty reduction within the sub‐region.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140836848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This research estimated the impact of credit uptake (formal, informal, and family) on youth entrepreneurship performance in Benin using panel data from a World Bank survey on enterprise formalization. To address potential endogeneity and ensure the robustness of results, we employed multiple models and estimation techniques (fixed‐effects and Lewbel approach). Our results showed that, while formal credit was most important for larger firms, smaller firms benefited mainly from flexible (informal or family) credit. The impact of credit uptake was generally higher for female‐owned firms. There were also variations in uptake according to the firm owner's age. The impact of formal credit was relatively higher for older firm owners while informal credit impacted more younger owners. The findings highlight the importance of informal and family credit sources, especially for start‐ups and small firms.
{"title":"The role of formal, informal, and family credit in the business performance of young entrepreneurs in Benin","authors":"Djossou Gbetoton Nadege, Novignon Jacob, Abdelkrim Araar","doi":"10.1111/rode.13104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13104","url":null,"abstract":"This research estimated the impact of credit uptake (formal, informal, and family) on youth entrepreneurship performance in Benin using panel data from a World Bank survey on enterprise formalization. To address potential endogeneity and ensure the robustness of results, we employed multiple models and estimation techniques (fixed‐effects and Lewbel approach). Our results showed that, while formal credit was most important for larger firms, smaller firms benefited mainly from flexible (informal or family) credit. The impact of credit uptake was generally higher for female‐owned firms. There were also variations in uptake according to the firm owner's age. The impact of formal credit was relatively higher for older firm owners while informal credit impacted more younger owners. The findings highlight the importance of informal and family credit sources, especially for start‐ups and small firms.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140626506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dieu Ne Dort Talla Fokam, Rodrigue Nda'chi Deffo, Ernest Youmto, Benjamin Fomba Kamga
This study analyzes the effect of free zones on the competitiveness of manufactured exports from Africa. Particular interest is devoted to the channels through which free zones affect export competitiveness. The empirical analysis covers a sample of 29 countries for the period 1996–2018. Using panel data techniques, the results show that the free zone has a positive and significant effect on export competitiveness. The main transmission channels identified are foreign direct investment inflow, human capital, and institutional quality. As the main policy implication, policymakers in Africa need to invest more in human capital development and improve the attractiveness of the investment environment as a priority for having productive free zones.
{"title":"Free zones and manufactured export competitiveness from Africa","authors":"Dieu Ne Dort Talla Fokam, Rodrigue Nda'chi Deffo, Ernest Youmto, Benjamin Fomba Kamga","doi":"10.1111/rode.13103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13103","url":null,"abstract":"This study analyzes the effect of free zones on the competitiveness of manufactured exports from Africa. Particular interest is devoted to the channels through which free zones affect export competitiveness. The empirical analysis covers a sample of 29 countries for the period 1996–2018. Using panel data techniques, the results show that the free zone has a positive and significant effect on export competitiveness. The main transmission channels identified are foreign direct investment inflow, human capital, and institutional quality. As the main policy implication, policymakers in Africa need to invest more in human capital development and improve the attractiveness of the investment environment as a priority for having productive free zones.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Massive energy consumption and poor regulatory framework in urban areas have created environmental slums and are a serious threat to sustainability. East Asian and Pacific economies are vulnerable to climate crises and striving for sustainability by transition to green energy and taking climate initiatives. In the past, no study has explored the effectiveness of energy transitions and climate actions in the context of East Asia and Pacific. To understand the effectiveness of these efforts, this study has been planned and executed to examine the impact of energy transition and climate actions, along with emissions from residential and commercial buildings, per capita income, and effective governance, on sustainable cities and communities in East Asia and the Pacific region. The study utilizes panel data of six high‐income countries and 11 lower‐middle and upper‐middle income countries from 2000 to 2022 for comparative empirical analysis. Empirical analysis is performed using truncated regression due to the nature of the data. The study found that energy transition, climate actions, and governance effectiveness increase the sustainability of cities and communities. However, emissions from residential buildings and per capita income adversely affect the sustainability of cities and communities. Furthermore, the dynamics of energy transition and climate change vary according to the income classifications of East Asian and Pacific countries. Energy transition and emissions showed a higher impact in HICs, while climate actions were more resilient in lower‐middle and upper‐middle income countries. These findings emphasize the transition to clean and green energy, prompt climate policy actions, and effective governance to ensure sustainability in East Asian and Pacific cities and communities.
{"title":"Dynamics of energy transition and climate actions on sustainable cities: A cross country comparison of East Asia and Pacific","authors":"Humaira Yasmeen, Hashim Zameer","doi":"10.1111/rode.13102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13102","url":null,"abstract":"Massive energy consumption and poor regulatory framework in urban areas have created environmental slums and are a serious threat to sustainability. East Asian and Pacific economies are vulnerable to climate crises and striving for sustainability by transition to green energy and taking climate initiatives. In the past, no study has explored the effectiveness of energy transitions and climate actions in the context of East Asia and Pacific. To understand the effectiveness of these efforts, this study has been planned and executed to examine the impact of energy transition and climate actions, along with emissions from residential and commercial buildings, per capita income, and effective governance, on sustainable cities and communities in East Asia and the Pacific region. The study utilizes panel data of six high‐income countries and 11 lower‐middle and upper‐middle income countries from 2000 to 2022 for comparative empirical analysis. Empirical analysis is performed using truncated regression due to the nature of the data. The study found that energy transition, climate actions, and governance effectiveness increase the sustainability of cities and communities. However, emissions from residential buildings and per capita income adversely affect the sustainability of cities and communities. Furthermore, the dynamics of energy transition and climate change vary according to the income classifications of East Asian and Pacific countries. Energy transition and emissions showed a higher impact in HICs, while climate actions were more resilient in lower‐middle and upper‐middle income countries. These findings emphasize the transition to clean and green energy, prompt climate policy actions, and effective governance to ensure sustainability in East Asian and Pacific cities and communities.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Formalizing firms can potentially increase the tax base, expand safety and social protections for workers, create good jobs, and promote firm growth. However, the costs and processes of formality may be too challenging for some firms to bear. Thus, informal firms may not be able to survive the transition to formality, and attempts to expand formality through more intensive enforcement may be harmful and counterproductive to job creation and growth. This paper investigates the potential for currently informal firms to formalize in Egypt. The paper compares the characteristics of formal and informal micro and small nonagricultural firms and identifies the extent of similarities and potential for formalization. The analysis finds that, beyond firm size and whether the firm operates in a fixed establishment, the basic and easily observable characteristics of firms are not closely linked to formality. Firm age, productivity, and owner characteristics, such as education, are strongly predictive of formality. The predicted probability of being formal is greater than 50% for only about 26% of informal firms, suggesting most firms are not good candidates for formalization. The paper develops profiles (groups and clusters) of similar firms to identify those with a higher potential for formalization.
{"title":"How do small formal and informal firms in Egypt compare? An analysis of firm characteristics and implications for formalization efforts","authors":"Caroline Krafft, Ragui Assaad, Khandker Wahedur Rahman, Maakwe Cumanzala","doi":"10.1111/rode.13101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/rode.13101","url":null,"abstract":"Formalizing firms can potentially increase the tax base, expand safety and social protections for workers, create good jobs, and promote firm growth. However, the costs and processes of formality may be too challenging for some firms to bear. Thus, informal firms may not be able to survive the transition to formality, and attempts to expand formality through more intensive enforcement may be harmful and counterproductive to job creation and growth. This paper investigates the potential for currently informal firms to formalize in Egypt. The paper compares the characteristics of formal and informal micro and small nonagricultural firms and identifies the extent of similarities and potential for formalization. The analysis finds that, beyond firm size and whether the firm operates in a fixed establishment, the basic and easily observable characteristics of firms are not closely linked to formality. Firm age, productivity, and owner characteristics, such as education, are strongly predictive of formality. The predicted probability of being formal is greater than 50% for only about 26% of informal firms, suggesting most firms are not good candidates for formalization. The paper develops profiles (groups and clusters) of similar firms to identify those with a higher potential for formalization.","PeriodicalId":47635,"journal":{"name":"Review of Development Economics","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140592305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}