Ana Cusolito, Ph.D.
Ana Paula Cusolito is a Senior Economist currently working at the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank Group. Her research interests focus on firm-level productivity, the digital economy, innovation, entrepreneurship and trade. More recently, she has been involved in several experiments to evaluate firm-level programs aimed at increasing productivity, improving access to finance, and facilitating access to markets for SMEs. During her career, Ana Paula has conducted analytical work on firm-level productivity, innovation, digital-technology adoption, and international trade. In recent years, Ana Paula had a development assignment with the Chief Economist Office of the Equity, Finance, and Institutions Vice-Presidency to work on the productivity agenda. She is the co-editor of the WBG book Productivity Revisited: Shifting Paradigms in Analysis and Policy. She has also participated as core team member of WBG World Development Report 2019, Changing Nature of Work. Ana Paula has experience working mainly in the Latin America, Europa and Central Asia and Middle East regions. Ana Paula’s work has been published at the Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Development Economics, World Bank Economic Review, Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, IZA Journal of Labor and Development, and Journal of Development Effectiveness. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
- Why did you become a member of the International Atlantic Economic Society?
Back in 2017, I received a very kind invitation to participate at the New York City IAES conference both as speaker and discussant. This was a wonderful experience and I still have very nice memories of the conference. It gave me the opportunity to explore synergies and collaboration with researchers from different institutions (e.g., universities, international organizations, etc.) and countries around the world. Indeed, I am still in contact with several colleagues that I met at the NYC conference and continue exchanging views on common research areas.
- What types of projects/research are you currently working on and what inspired/motivated you to pursue these interests?
My current research focuses, primarily, on firm-dynamics, firm-level productivity, and the impact of digital technology adoption on productivity and the creation of new (and better) jobs. Research on productivity and the impact of technology adoption on productivity growth, the creation of new jobs, and the skill composition of new jobs have become the cornerstone of two intertwined debates over the economics of technology adoption. The first debate, known as the productivity paradox, refers to the global productivity growth slump, which has occurred despite the spectacular technological progress observed in recent years. The second debate, known as the automation risk, is related to the fear that digitalization or robotization will take away jobs from people or biases the labor demand towards skilled workers. Thus, increasing inequality. I conduct both theoretical and empirical research on these topics with a focus on developing economies.
- What advice would you give to someone who is considering entering your line of work/field of study?
My main advice would be to stay tuned with recent developments both in the theoretical and empirical literature. The knowledge frontier has expanded considerably in recent years, as many academics have revisited traditional theories and empirical methodologies to analyze old and new research questions. These recent developments have shifted paradigms both in analysis and policy.
- Going forward, what other projects/research are you looking to or hoping to pursue?
I will continue working on the above-mentioned research topics to better understand the underpinnings behind technology adoption, productivity growth, and the creation of new (and better) jobs in developing countries. Moreover, I am planning to extend the analysis to incorporate the effects of the covid-19 pandemic. The recent novel coronavirus outbreak has underscored the importance of technology adoption for economic growth, while sparked global and deep concerns about the effects of the pandemic on firm-level productivity and jobs. Covid-19 is changing rapidly labor market outcomes worldwide, as the susceptive population is modifying their labor supply decisions to minimize the risk of being infected, while exposed firms are adjusting their labor demand to cope with supply-chain disruptions and the workforce shortage.
- What’s your favorite hobby?
Swimming, diving, and triathlons are an important part of my life. To me, there’s nothing better than enjoying the water. And when I manage to sit still for a minute, behind the piano is my other favorite place to be. I also enjoy listening to opera, classical and country music or going to concerts and art events.