Leacock Building 514
855 Sherbrooke St. West
Montreal, QC, H3A 2T7
Research Interests
Development Economics
Labor Economics
Political Economy
I study the private sector in low and middle-income countries and its potential to foster sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty.
Working Papers and Work in Progress
Selection, Absolute Advantage, and the Agricultural Productivity Gap (with F. Alvarez and M. Poschke)
Revise and Resubmit, Journal of Political Economy Macroeconomics
Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development (with P. Medina and M. Morlacco)
Revise and Resubmit, American Economic Review
Global Labor Market Power (with E. Brancati, P. Brummund, N. de Roux and M. Di Maio)
The Local (Informal) Multiplier of Industrial Jobs (with E. Benveniste, H. Pham and M. Sanfilippo)
Beefing Up: Commodity Exports to China and Production Network Spillovers (with G. Chiovelli and S. Frache)
The Effect of Regularization on Migrant Labor Exploitation (with E. Benveniste, M. Carillo and M. Riudavets-Barcons)
Selected Publications
Measuring Labor Market Power in Developing Countries: Evidence from Colombian Plants (with N. de Roux)
Journal of Labor Economics, forthcoming [wp version]
Trade Liberalization, Economic Activity, and Political Violence in the Global South: Evidence from PTAs (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio)
Economic Policy, 2024, 39(118), 275–322 [wp version]
The Employment Effects of Ethnic Politics (with G. Chiovelli and S. Hohmann)
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2024, 16(2), 456-491 [wp version] [replication]
Workplace Incentives and Organizational Learning (with M. A. Martinez)
Journal of Labor Economics, 2023, 41(2), 453-478 [wp version]
Security, Trade, and Political Violence (with L. Baccini and M. Di Maio)
Journal of the European Economic Association, 2021, 19(1), 1-37 [wp version] [online appendix]
Ethnicity and Violence During Democratic Transitions: Evidence from South Africa (with G. Chiovelli)
Journal of the European Economic Association, 2018, 16(4), 1234-1280 [wp version]
Input Allocation, Workforce Management and Productivity Spillovers: Evidence from Personnel Data (with M. A. Martinez)
The Review of Economic Studies, 2018, 85(4), 1937-1970 [wp version] [online appendix]
Making Do with What You Have: Conflict, Input Misallocation and Firm Performance (with M. Di Maio)
The Economic Journal, 2018, 128(615), 2559-2612 [wp version] [online appendix]
Additional Publications
Weather Shocks Affect Trade Policy: Evidence from Preferential Trade Agreements (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio)
American Journal of Agricultural Economics, conditionally accepted [wp version]
Work Style Diversity and Diffusion Within and Across Organizations: Evidence from Soviet-Style Hockey (with S. Hoey and J. Schneider)
Management Science, 2024, 70(4), 2294-2314 [wp version]
Agricultural Comparative Advantage and Legislators' Support for Trade Agreements (with L. Baccini, G. Chiovelli and M. Di Maio)
The Journal of Politics, 2022, 84(2), 1244-1249 [wp version]
Bribes vs. Taxes: Market Structure and Incentives (with J. Choi, G. De Giorgi and A. Rahman)
Journal of Comparative Economics, 2022, 50(2), 435-453 [wp version]
Pre-colonial Ethnic Institutions and Party Politics in Africa (with G. Chiovelli and D. Munson)
Journal of Comparative Economics, 2022, 50(4), 969-980 [wp version]
Crime Protection Investment Spillovers: Theory and Evidence from the City of Buenos Aires
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019, 159, 626-649 [wp version]
Policy Briefs and Research Notes
Labor Market Power, Self-employment, and Development (with P. Medina and M. Morlacco) [pdf]
Working in Export Manufacturing: A Blessing or a Curse? (with A. Menzel) [pdf]
The Effect of the Italian Support System for Refugees and Asylum Seekers on the Local Economy (with A. Martelli and C. Paoli) [pdf]
Trade Restrictions Lead to Lower Wages and More Violence (with M. Di Maio) [pdf]
Media/Posts
Le protectionnisme de gauche, Le Devoir, August 2024 [link]
How ethnic politics shapes labour markets in Africa (with G. Chiovelli and S. Hohmann), voxdev.org, June 2024 [link]
How the wage-setting power of firms shapes Peru’s economy (with P. Medina and M. Morlacco), voxdev.org, January 2024 [link]
Labor market power, self-employment, and development, Faculti.net, December 2023 [link]
Atteindre le plein potentiel des universités francophones, Le Devoir, October 2023 [link]
Reforming Montreal's transit system (with V. Geloso), Montreal Gazette, January 2023 [link]
Push to resume pay hikes for essential retail workers, CBC The National, January 2022 [link]
Immigration could help Quebec nursing shortage, CTV News, January 2022 [link]
Health-care staff shortages? Let's talk immigration, Montreal Gazette, January 2022 [link]
Pay Out Emergency Benefits or Subsidize Wages, Montreal Gazette, March 2020 [link]
How conflict disrupts the economy: New evidence from the West Bank and Gaza (with M. Di Maio), voxeu.org, December 2018 [link]
Se i Rifugiati Danno Posti di Lavoro agli Italiani (with A. Martelli and C. Paoli), lavoce.info, October 2018 [link]
Feedback rating to decrease bribery: Evidence from the Kyrgyz Republic (with J. Choi, G. De Giorgi and A. Rahman), voxdev.org, July 2018 [link]
Il Ventennio Boom del Divario Generazionale (with A. Martelli), linkiesta.it, June 2014 [link]
Firms in Conflict: Adapt or Perish (with M. Di Maio), sipri.org, May 2014 [link]
Percepciones y Realidad sobre el tema de los Delitos en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (with L. Freira), focoeconomico.org, February 2013 [link]