Women entrepreneurs could benefit from better targeting, without changing the program content
Every year, governments and development organizations spend billions on business upgrading programs — training, mentorship, consulting — designed to help small firms grow. These programs
Opening the black box: What we now know about credit and poverty
For decades, one question has dominated debates about finance and poverty reduction: does access to credit reduce poverty? The idea that loans can help households
Bonds set for bruising September; stocks fare better
MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares excluding Japan rose 0.2% in early trading. Global bonds wobbled on Wednesday and were set for their worst month
How to lend and spend money to increase the gains from international migration
It has long been argued that even relatively small increases in global migration could result in gains that far exceed the total of all foreign
Financing the startup J-curve
High-growth startups often lose money before they make it. This column examines whether differences in financing capacity are reflected in the cash flow and growth
Expanding opportunities: Economics PhD placement in the 21st century
Since 2010, a growing proportion of doctoral graduates have been taking jobs outside academia. This column explores where elite early-career economists work, using a dataset
When aging meets digital & AI: Closing the silver digital divide for an aging world
We are living through two megatrends humanity has never seen before. The first is aging. Populations over 65 are growing not just in developed countries,
Tracking the changing role of foreign direct investment and remittances—check the latest WDI data
For decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) was seen as the primary engine of development finance. But that’s changing, as FDI flows fall off and remittances
ChatGPT’s financial advice: Supply, demand, and the life cycle
The rise of generative AI has raised hopes that high-quality, personalised financial advice might finally become cheap and universally accessible. This column develops a method
Investing in the future: ensuring women-led small businesses can thrive
When we picture engines of economic growth and job creation, we tend to think of large multinational companies and global brands. Yet, in emerging and
