Mariano Bosch
Economics Principal Advisor · IDB Vice Presidency of Sectors

Mariano Bosch

Inter-American Development Bank

I have spent 20 years producing evidence that has contributed to the policy debate around pension reform and labor markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. My research on informality, retirement savings, and social protection has been published in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, AEJ: Economic Policy, Journal of Development Economics, European Economic Review, Journal of Human Resources, and Labour Economics, among others. I hold a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics.

I have spent 20 years working at the intersection of research and public policy on labor markets and pension systems in Latin America and the Caribbean. My research has informed pension reform debates and labor market reforms in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, El Salvador, and other countries across the region, and shaped IDB advisory engagements at the highest level. Before joining the IDB in 2011, I was a consultant at the World Bank and an assistant professor at the University of Alicante. I coordinate the knowledge agenda for the Vice Presidency of Sectors and Knowledge at the IDB.

These are working papers and policy reports from the last three years — research that is ongoing, under review, or recently completed. Findings should be treated as preliminary.

2025 Working Paper IDB Working Paper
Bosch, M., Altamirano, A., Oliveri, M. L., Tuesta, D. & Tapia, W.

Workers strategically time formal employment spells to qualify for pension benefits, creating incentives that distort labor market formality decisions.

2025 Policy Work IFS Working Paper
Bosch, M. et al.
2023 Working Paper IDB Working Paper
Azuara Herrera, O., Bosch, M. & Torres Ramirez, E.

Older workers in LAC face high informality, low pension coverage, and poor health outcomes, underscoring the need for comprehensive social protection reforms.