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This week in development economics at VoxDev: 01/08/2025 This week we featured research on pollution, renewable energy, mobile money, sleep & more...

This week in development economics:
- We featured research on pollution, renewable energy, mobile money, sleep & more.
- Interesting links on fixing foreign aid, African cities, value chains & more.

Catch up & sign up to receive this weekly summary here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

Understanding self-employment in Brazil: Can people afford to search for jobs? Material scarcity and financial constraints appear to be the main drivers of self-employment for approximately two-thirds of urban own-account workers in Brazil.

🆕 Understanding self-employment in Brazil: Can people afford to search for jobs?

Today on VoxDev, @tscarelli.bsky.social and David Margolis show that material scarcity and financial constraints appear to be the main drivers of self-employment in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/labour...

Understanding self-employment in Brazil: Can people afford to search for jobs? Material scarcity and financial constraints appear to be the main drivers of self-employment for approximately two-thirds of urban own-account workers in Brazil.

🆕 Understanding self-employment in Brazil: Can people afford to search for jobs?

Today on VoxDev, @tscarelli.bsky.social and David Margolis show that material scarcity and financial constraints appear to be the main drivers of self-employment in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/labour...

Unlike Western Europe, Russia entrenched serfdom as an extractive institution rooted in frontier defence. To secure its borders, the state granted land to servicemen who leveraged their role to restrict peasant mobility—hardwiring coercion into law.

Read today's article to learn more:

How serfdom hardwired extractive institutions into the Russian economy Unlike Western Europe, Russia entrenched serfdom as an extractive institution rooted in frontier defence, as opposed to fundamentals such as land abundance and trade. To secure its southern border, th...

🆕 How serfdom hardwired extractive institutions into the Russian economy

Today on VoxDev w/ @andreamatranga.bsky.social (University of Turin) & @timurnatkhov.bsky.social (Higher School of Economics): voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Super interesting insights from Francis Annan on his experience working with business during his research projects in Ghana.

Also great to learn how @voxdev.bsky.social helped this process, by putting his research in front of policymakers who then reached out and worked with Francis.

In a world where constrained governments still trade temporary rights for security they can't otherwise afford, Russian history shows how outsourcing defense to local elites can bake coercion into the economic fabric.

Fascinating economic history research on serfdom ⤵️

🆕 Partnering with business for development economics research 📢

Today on VoxDevTalks, Francis Annan (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social) discusses how academics can partner with the private sector to conduct research and have impact: voxdev.org/topic/financ...

How serfdom hardwired extractive institutions into the Russian economy Unlike Western Europe, Russia entrenched serfdom as an extractive institution rooted in frontier defence, as opposed to fundamentals such as land abundance and trade. To secure its southern border, th...

🆕 How serfdom hardwired extractive institutions into the Russian economy

Today on VoxDev w/ @andreamatranga.bsky.social (University of Turin) & @timurnatkhov.bsky.social (Higher School of Economics): voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Breadwinner’s burden: How financial relief improved sleep and cognition in Indonesia Cash transfers improve sleep quality for household heads but not other family members, revealing how financial pressures burden those responsible for providing.

Professor Maulik Jagnani on how financial stressors impact breadwinners: "Cash transfers improve sleep quality for household heads but not other family members, revealing how financial pressures burden those responsible for providing." @voxdev.bsky.social

voxdev.org/topic/social...

Cash transfers improve sleep quality for household heads but not other family members, revealing how financial pressures burden those responsible for providing.

Read today's article to learn more:

Breadwinner’s burden: How financial relief improved sleep and cognition in Indonesia Cash transfers improve sleep quality for household heads but not other family members, revealing how financial pressures burden those responsible for providing.

🆕 Breadwinner’s burden: How financial relief improved sleep and cognition in Indonesia

Today on VoxDev, Claire Duquennois (University of Pittsburgh) & Maulik Jagnani (@tufts.edu) discuss how cash transfers helped relieve the financial pressure on breadwinners: voxdev.org/topic/social...

How developing the renewable energy sector increased employment in Brazil The development of the wind energy sector in Brazil improved employment in recipient municipalities—with workers under the age of 40 and those without high school degrees benefitting the most.

🆕 How developing the renewable energy sector increased employment in Brazil

Today on VoxDev, @hernandezcortes.bsky.social (Arizona State University) & @s-mathes.bsky.social (EPGE) discuss the impact of the wind energy sector on employment in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/energy...

The development of the wind energy sector in Brazil improved employment in recipient municipalities—with workers under the age of 40 and those without high school degrees benefitting the most.

Read today's article to learn more:

How developing the renewable energy sector increased employment in Brazil The development of the wind energy sector in Brazil improved employment in recipient municipalities—with workers under the age of 40 and those without high school degrees benefitting the most.

🆕 How developing the renewable energy sector increased employment in Brazil

Today on VoxDev, @hernandezcortes.bsky.social (Arizona State University) & @s-mathes.bsky.social (EPGE) discuss the impact of the wind energy sector on employment in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/energy...

Breadwinner’s burden: How financial relief improved sleep and cognition in Indonesia Cash transfers improve sleep quality for household heads but not other family members, revealing how financial pressures burden those responsible for providing.

🆕 Breadwinner’s burden: How financial relief improved sleep and cognition in Indonesia

Today on VoxDev, Claire Duquennois (University of Pittsburgh) & Maulik Jagnani (@tufts.edu) discuss how cash transfers helped relieve the financial pressure on breadwinners: voxdev.org/topic/social...

Workers in African cities are extremely exposed to air pollution In African cities, small firms locate on busy roads to attract customers and increase profits, exposing workers to substantial air pollution.

🆕 Workers in African cities are extremely exposed to air pollution

Today on VoxDev w/ Vittorio Bassi (@usc.edu), Matthew E. Kahn (@usc.edu), Nancy Lozano Gracia (World Bank), Tommaso Porzio (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) ‬& Jeanne Sorin (University of Chicago): voxdev.org/topic/energy...

In African cities, small firms locate on busy roads to attract customers and increase profits, exposing workers to substantial air pollution.

Read today's article to learn more:

📢 Can wage subsidies cut long-term unemployment?
New insights by Alex Armand @NOVAFRICA @NOVASBE & co-authors show wage subsidies + job matching led to lasting formal employment gains—especially for vulnerable workers.

🔗 Read the @voxdev.bsky.social article: voxdev.org/topic/labour...

Workers in African cities are extremely exposed to air pollution In African cities, small firms locate on busy roads to attract customers and increase profits, exposing workers to substantial air pollution.

🆕 Workers in African cities are extremely exposed to air pollution

Today on VoxDev w/ Vittorio Bassi (@usc.edu), Matthew E. Kahn (@usc.edu), Nancy Lozano Gracia (World Bank), Tommaso Porzio (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) ‬& Jeanne Sorin (University of Chicago): voxdev.org/topic/energy...

🆕 Mobile money in Ghana: Lessons for boosting financial inclusion

Today on VoxDevTalks, Francis Annan (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social) discusses how to reduce fraud and strengthen trust in mobile money markets: voxdev.org/topic/financ...

Evidence from Brazil highlights how tackling voter fraud can not only protect election integrity, but also enhance political accountability, improve leadership quality, and promote better governance outcomes.

Read today's article to learn more:

Electoral reform in Brazil reduced voter fraud and improved public services Evidence from Brazil highlights how tackling voter fraud can not only protect election integrity, but also enhance political accountability, improve leadership quality, and promote better governance o...

🆕 Electoral reform in Brazil reduced voter fraud and improved public services

Today on VoxDev, @ridwankarim.bsky.social (Lazaridis School of Business & Economics) discusses the far-reaching consequences of electoral reform on governance in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Electoral reform in Brazil reduced voter fraud and improved public services Evidence from Brazil highlights how tackling voter fraud can not only protect election integrity, but also enhance political accountability, improve leadership quality, and promote better governance o...

🆕 Electoral reform in Brazil reduced voter fraud and improved public services

Today on VoxDev, @ridwankarim.bsky.social (Lazaridis School of Business & Economics) discusses the far-reaching consequences of electoral reform on governance in Brazil: voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Tariff cuts in India reduced firms’ reliance on political connections, lowering politically driven misallocation and addressing a common source of inefficiency.

Read today's article to learn more:

Tariff cuts in India reduced firms’ reliance on political connections, lowering politically driven misallocation and addressing a common source of inefficiency.

Read today's article to learn more:

How trade liberalisation erodes the advantage of political connections Tariff cuts in India reduced firms’ reliance on political connections, lowering politically driven misallocation and addressing a common source of inefficiency.

🆕 How trade liberalisation erodes the advantage of political connections

Today on VoxDev, @sjavervall.bsky.social‬ (@kiel.institute) & @rkhoban.bsky.social‬ (@econ.uzh.ch) discuss how tariff cuts in India reduced firms' reliance on political connections: voxdev.org/topic/trade/...

This week in development economics at VoxDev: 25/07/2025 This week we featured research on carbon offsets, Special Economic Zones, remote work and more...

This week we featured research on carbon offsets, Special Economic Zones, remote work and more...

Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

How trade liberalisation erodes the advantage of political connections Tariff cuts in India reduced firms’ reliance on political connections, lowering politically driven misallocation and addressing a common source of inefficiency.

🆕 How trade liberalisation erodes the advantage of political connections

Today on VoxDev, @sjavervall.bsky.social‬ (@kiel.institute) & @rkhoban.bsky.social‬ (@econ.uzh.ch) discuss how tariff cuts in India reduced firms' reliance on political connections: voxdev.org/topic/trade/...

Agricultural modernisation in Brazil has driven economic growth but also intensified land inequality and redistributive conflict.

Read today's article to learn more: