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This paper explores the relationship between access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) services and family arrangements in the distribution of work in four Latin American countries. We find that households in which all children aged 0 to 5 receive ECEC services exhibit smaller gender gaps in unpaid work, mainly due to a decrease in the amount of time women devote to care work. Women in these households devote more time to paid work, such that the gender gap in total work does not differ between households based on use of ECEC services. However, use of ECEC services for children aged 0 to 5 is associated with reduced hours of unpaid work among women and an increase in women's hours of paid work. These findings confirm the importance of increasing access to early childhood care and education services to reduce gender gaps in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Muchas economías en desarrollo comparten dos rasgos distintivos: altos niveles de desigualdad de ingresos y una considerable proporción de empleo informal. Sin embargo, no abunda la bibliografía sobre la relación entre ambas variables, sobre todo en el caso de América Latina. En este artículo se analizan diversos factores que pueden influir en el signo de la ambigua relación entre desigualdad e informalidad. Comprobamos empíricamente esta relación utilizando datos de panel de América Latina correspondientes al periodo 1990‐2018. En las condiciones específicas de la región, los resultados muestran una asociación positiva entre la formalización del mercado de trabajo y la igualdad de ingresos laborales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers how changes in Latin American countries’ age structures may affect their long-term economic performance through the impact on labor supply, dependency ratios, and productivity. It analyzes fourteen Latin American countries using population projections for 2015–2050 and considering three scenarios. The basic scenario assumes constant sex- and age-specific behavior concerning employment, while the other two scenarios imply increases in female activity rates and significant human capital accumulation. The results illustrate the heterogeneity of Latin American countries. In some of them, major productivity increases can only be achieved through substantial changes in the incorporation of women into the labor market, and especially in the educational level of the population as a whole. However, in most of the region’s countries, the demographic factor is still favorable and there is scope to exploit the demographic dividend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En este artículo se analiza la participación de los ingresos laborales en el Ingreso total en los países de América Latina durante las últimas dos décadas. Primero se considera la participación de la masa de salarios en el producto Interno bruto (pib), para luego Incorporar los ingresos laborales de los trabajadores Independientes. Los resultados indican que tanto el peso de la masa salarial como el del total de ingresos laborales en el pib han caído durante el período en la mayoría de los países de la región, aunque con algunas excepciones. La merma en la desigualdad del ingreso laboral en la última década no ha estado acompañada, en términos generales, de una mayor participación de los ingresos laborales en el PIB. Esto implica que la mejora en la distribución personal de los ingresos no se ha producido en conjunto con una mejora en la distribución funcional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using unemployment insurance records and social security labor histories, we provide evidence of the impacts of recent changes in the unemployment insurance system of Uruguay. We estimate the effects on unemployment duration and post unemployment wages. Two main changes are considered: the modification in the scheme of payments -from a lump sum during six months to a decreasing system of payments during the same period- and extension in the duration of the benefit up to one year for workers 50 or older. We consider different impact evaluation techniques (propensity score, difference in differences and regression discontinuity), and find that the change in the payment scheme has implied a small reduction in unemployment duration, with no effects in terms of subsequent earnings. The possibility of extension of the unemployment insurance for older workers has led to an extension in unemployment duration and it has not helped to subsidize better job matches in the form of better paying jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantifies the incidence of informality -defined according to the criterion used by the International Labor Organization -and the lack of social security in Uruguay during the period 1991-2005. It analyzes its superimposition and the characteristics and remunerations of the workers involved. Social security payments are the determinant factor in categorizing the workers according to their income levels. This strengthens the idea that the category lacking social security is more suitable for studying labor quality in Uruguay. However, the need for better methodological tools is clear, if we are to realize a broader study of the question of job quality, embracing other dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]