Research

Awarded 2nd Prize at “3ª Edición del Premio Internacional “Carlos Román” de Evaluación de Políticas Públicas”

Dissemination: 5centims Blog

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Abstract: Objectives: This article evaluates the impact of a local active labour market policy (POIL) implemented in the province of Barcelona, aimed at improving employment outcomes through public-private partnerships providing personalised support and placement in local jobs. Methodology: We combine a matching strategy with a difference-in-differences estimation using administrative data to estimate the causal effect of programme participation. Results: Participation in the programme increases the probability of finding employment by 3.4 percentage points. The effects are stronger among older workers, native individuals, and those with shorter prior unemployment spells. Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential of locally targeted active labour market policies to improve employment outcomes, particularly when interventions are tailored to sectoral needs and delivered through personalised support mechanisms.

Dissemination: Nada es Gratis

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ABSTRACT: Student performance at university is a strong determinant of individual decisions and future outcomes, most notably labour opportunities. Although published studies have found gender differences in student performance in response to pressure, little is known about such differences when university students respond to different levels of pressure, resulting from different stakes. Based on field data, this study aims to examine gender differences in student performance in response to different stakes when sitting multiple choice tests, a frequently employed exam format at university. To do so, the introduction of continuous assessment in the evaluation system of a university course allows us to exploit a unique quasi-experimental set up in which the same students take similar tests throughout the course but under different levels of pressure, i.e. facing different stakes. Exploiting individual student data in a panel data framework, we find that male students outperform their female counterparts when under high pressure. However, as the stakes faced decrease, the gender gap shrinks and even reverses in favour of female students at the lowest pressure scenario. We also analyse possible mechanisms responsible for the observed gender gap by studying whether students excel or choke under pressure depending on their gender, and by studying gender differences when omitting questions on multiple choice tests.

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ABSTRACT: La segregación escolar por origen socioeconómico en secundaria de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid es la más alta de España y la segunda entre los países de la OCDE. El presente estudio tiene el doble objetivo de analizar la incidencia entre la implementación del Programa Bilingüe en Madrid a partir del curso 2004/05 en la segregación escolar por origen socioeconómico en la educación secundaria, así como su efecto en los resultados de aprendizaje de los alumnos. Los resultados indican que las familias en centros no bilingües tienen un nivel socioeconómico mucho más bajo que en centros bilingües. La segregación aumentó gradualmente entre 2009 y 2018, por dos motivos. Por un lado, la expansión de la red concertada durante la década anterior. Y por otro, la expansión del Programa Bilingüe: en 2015 se produce un fuerte aumento de la segregación dentro de la red pública coincidiendo con la llegada del programa bilingüe de los centros públicos al final de la ESO; en 2018 se produce un importante aumento de la segregación en los centros concertados-privados, consistente con la llegada del programa bilingüe en la red concertada al final de la ESO. Finalmente, controlando por varios factores, observamos que los estudiantes del sistema no bilingüe obtienen peores puntuaciones que los del sistema bilingüe en las pruebas PISA.

Title in English: “The Influence of the Bilingual Program on the School Segregation by Socioeconomic Origin in the Autonomous Community of Madrid: Evidence from PISA“

ABSTRACT: School segregation by socioeconomic characteristics in secondary education in the Autonomous Community of Madrid is the highest in Spain and second highest amongst OECD countries. This study aims to analyse the influence of the implementation of the bilingual program in Madrid from the 2004/05 academic year on school segregation, and its consequences on student performance. The findings indicate that families in non-bilingual schools have a lower socioeconomic level than families in bilingual schools. School segregation gradually increased between 2009 and 2018 for two reasons: the expansion of publicly funded private schools over the previous decade and the expansion of the bilingual program. In 2015, when the bilingual program reached the last course of secondary education in public schools, school segregation notably increased within the public system. Likewise, in 2018 school segregation notably increased within publicly funded private schools, consistent with the arrival of the bilingual program in the publicly funded private sector at the end of secondary education. Finally, we observe that students from non-bilingual schools underperformed students from bilingual schools on the PISA tests.

Dissemination: Blog AES (Spanish Health Economics Association) and 5centims (Catalan Economic Society)

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ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the effects of a cultural programme on the well-being of older adults through a randomised controlled trial involving four activities— film screenings, guided exposition visits, and expert-led group discussions with informal social time. Compared to controls, treated participants exhibited a 10 percentage point net increase in social relationships and a 22 percentage point net reduction in doctor visits over the intervention period. Unexpectedly, participants reported subjective health declines, which may be explained by heightened self-awareness. Open-ended responses from participant surveys and focus group discussions highlighted the importance of interpersonal interaction, mental stimulation, and physical activation as mechanisms underlying these outcomes. Given its implementation within existing community resources and its positive impacts on social and physical health indicators, this cultural programme offers a promising strategy to support wellbeing and reduce loneliness in ageing societies.

Dissemination: Nada es Gratis

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ABSTRACT: Student performance at university significantly influences individual decisions and future opportunities, especially in labour markets. This paper analyses the impact of local crime on student performance during higher education, with a focus on potential gender differences. Following students over their bachelor’s years, the identification strategy exploits granular local crime variation – violent and non-violent crimes – near students’ residences before sitting a final exam. We consider both spatial and temporal patterns of crime exposure by estimating a panel data model with student, exam and district-month fixed-effects to provide causal estimates. Our findings suggest that violent crimes have a negative impact on student performance, while non-violent have no significant effect. Notably, the results are mainly driven by high-ability female students, with suggestive evidence that male students in the bottom or middle parts of the grade distribution are also affected

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ABSTRACT: This paper provides new evidence on the relationship between mobile money regulation and usage. It combines data from the Mobile Money Regulatory Index, a comprehensive assessment of mobile money regulations, and the Global Findex Database 2017. The analysis covers almost 50,000 individuals across 46 countries and finds compelling evidence that an enabling regulatory framework is strongly associated with higher mobile money usage. There are a number of components within a regulatory framework that are linked to the use of mobile money, including: allowing non-banks to provide mobile money; permitting international money transfers; a comprehensive consumer protection framework; giving mobile money providers flexibility to appoint individual agents; not imposing strict limits, taxes or price controls on mobile money transactions; allowing non-banks to have direct access to retail payment settlement infrastructure, and; allowing providers to earn and utilise interest on mobile money trust accounts. The results also suggest that an enabling regulatory framework has a stronger association with mobile money usage amongst women compared to men, and amongst the poorest segments of a country’s population.

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This chapter explores the relationship between economic poverty and educational opportunities in Catalonia, as well as strategies to reverse this trend through improvements in current income transfer systems. Evidence highlights that students from economically disadvantaged families achieve poorer academic results. Drawing on data from the PISA report and other studies, it is demonstrated that a clear socioeconomic gradient exists in skills, grade repetition, and early school leaving, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The study also includes a review of academic literature on the impact of family income on educational outcomes and the mechanisms that explain this link: investment in educational resources, parental involvement, and environmental and social factors. Additionally, it examines studies on the impact of both conditional and unconditional cash transfers on improving educational outcomes. Finally, the document outlines a series of recommendations to strengthen income guarantee systems in Catalonia, such as the Guaranteed Minimum Income and the Minimum Vital Income, to support vulnerable families and enhance educational opportunities.

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Abstract: The main objective is to assess the effectiveness of the labour program “Làbora” in improving the employability and well-being of participants. To this end, a mixed-methods approach was applied, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. In the quantitative analysis, the Propensity Score Matching technique was used to define a control group composed of individuals with similar characteristics who did not participate in the program. In addition, surveys were conducted with participants and non-participants, semi-structured interviews were carried out with program professionals, and focus groups were held with key stakeholders, such as collaborating companies and guidance teams.

Awarded best communication on the Sustainability of Public Policies axis at the 4th Congress of Economy and Business of Catalonia

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Abstract: The abandonment of studies after the compulsory education period is associated with lower levels of well-being and employment, particularly among vulnerable students. This article aims to analyze the organizational, pedagogical, and resource-related factors of secondary schools that can help students continue their education beyond the compulsory stage. To do so, a database was built combining administrative records of more than 90,000 students who completed compulsory secondary education (ESO) in Barcelona between 2018 and 2024, with a detailed survey on school practices answered by 136 secondary schools in the city of Barcelona (66% of the total). Using this information, a logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the probability of a student not enrolling in post-compulsory studies during the two years following completion of ESO. The analysis incorporates individual student characteristics, administrative variables at the school level, and school practices reported in the questionnaire. The results indicate that school practices such as ensuring subject continuity during teacher absences, implementing daily monitoring of student attendance, and providing personalized guidance can significantly reduce the likelihood of early school leaving, regardless of the student’s socioeconomic and academic background.

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Abstract: Garantizar la salud física y mental de niños, niñas y adolescentes es una prioridad para cualquier sociedad democrática. Este estudio examina las consecuencias de la pandemia de COVID-19 en la salud mental de este grupo de personas, cuya salud física fue menos afectada por la pandemia, pero que perdió contacto social debido al cierre de las escuelas. Para ello, se presenta una encuesta que incorpora las mismas preguntas de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud de España 2017 para comparar los cambios después de la pandemia. Las mayores contribuciones de este esfuerzo son, por un lado, el análisis del posible efecto que ha tenido la pandemia sobre los trastornos mentales y de conducta, con especial atención en los pensamientos suicidas. Por otro lado, se analiza según edad, sexo y nivel socioeconómico para identificar los potenciales factores de riesgo. Dada la importancia de contar con un sistema público que permita la detección y el acceso a la salud mental, analizamos los principales retos de nuestro sistema, proponiendo recomendaciones y buenas prácticas para garantizar que la salud mental sea accesible a toda la infancia y adolescencia.

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Abstract: Las prestaciones socioeconómicas y las rentas mínimas de los distintos niveles administrativos pretenden garantizar un mínimo de ingresos para las personas y familias en riesgo de exclusión social. En muchas ocasiones, los umbrales de ingresos para acceder a estas prestaciones no tienen en cuenta la realidad socioeconómica del territorio donde viven las personas y no permiten cubrir las necesidades básicas para tener una vida digna. Por este motivo, en este estudio se propone el cálculo de un indicador del coste de vida local que puede ayudar a abordar mejor los problemas de pobreza y garantía de ingresos a nivel local dado que estima un umbral absoluto por debajo del cual se entra en riesgo de pobreza, independientemente de la renta del resto de la ciudadanía. En concreto, se propone el indicador del “salario de referencia”, que tiene por objetivo principal establecer cuál sería la remuneración suficiente para que uno/a trabajador/a y su familia puedan vivir dignamente. Finalmente, este artículo muestra una aplicación de esta metodología en un caso real desarrollado para un ente local.

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ABSTRACT: Despite the vast number of studies analysing the impact of teacher gender on student performance, there is no conclusion about the question, since results are mixed: there is no impact, girls obtain better grades with female instructors or there is gender alignment, i.e. boys obtain better grades with male teachers and girls with female teachers. Moreover, almost all this literature is focused on students at primary school, secondary school or high school level and, to the best of our knowledge, there is only one study which analyses this question with university students. In the present paper we seek to assess the impact of teacher gender on students’ grades when sitting a final exam at university level. More precisely, we analyse the impact of the interaction of teacher-student gender on student performance.

ABSTRACT: This paper presents an evaluation of two educational programs aimed at improving language and science skills of students in the last years of primary education. For this purpose, a stratified randomization analysis is carried out in 31 schools distributed among Aragon, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid, where a series of treated and control schools are defined. The results show an improvement in science skills after participation in the program. When the program is implemented by more than 40%, the average scores of the treatment group increase up to 3 points out of 100. However, no impact is found in communication skills. The heterogeneity analysis shows that both programs have very positive effects on children with lower qualifications before participating in the program, which is a key element in the reduction of educational gaps among children.