Samuel Pienknagura

Last Updated: May 23, 2024

Samuel Pienknagura

Samuel Pienknagura is a senior economist in the Structural and Climate Policies Division, where he is currently focused on studying the determinants of innovation in and the deployment of green technologies. Previously, he worked as senior economist in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department Regional Studies Division, leading several analytical chapters prepared for the Regional Economic Outlook. Before joining the IMF, he was a senior economist at the World Bank. His work focuses on a range of topics, including labor markets, international trade and the impact of macro shocks on firm dynamics. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Email: SPIENKNAGURA@imf.org

Fluent In: Spanish.

Education:

PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011

M.Sc. in Economics, CEMFI, 2005

B.Sc. in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2003


Previous Experience:

IMF, Research Department, Structural and Climate Policies Division, 2022-present

IMF, Western Hemisphere Department, Regional Studies Division, 2019-2022

World Bank, Macro and Trade Global Practice, 2017-2019

World Bank, Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2011-2017


Field of Expertise:

Labor Economics

International Trade

International Macroeconomics

Development Economics

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Central Bank Independence and Inflation in Latin America—Through the Lens of History , Working Paper No. 2022/186 , September 16, 2022

The Return of Expansionary Austerity: Firms’ Investment Response to Fiscal Adjustments in Emerging Markets , Working Paper No. 2022/070 , April 08, 2022

Tax Policy for Inclusive Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean , Working Paper No. 2022/008 , January 21, 2022

Assessing Chile's Pension System: Challenges and Reform Options , Working Paper No. 2021/232 , September 10, 2021

The Macroeconomic Impact of Social Unrest , Working Paper No. 2021/135 , May 07, 2021

The Macroeconomic Effects of Structural Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean , Working Paper No. 20/195 , September 25, 2020

Labor Market Dynamics, Informality and Regulations in Latin America , Working Paper No. 20/19 , January 31, 2020

iMFdirect Blog Posts

Pandemic Persistence Clouds Latin America and the Caribbean Recovery (joint J. Roldos and A. Werner)

Could Renewed Social Unrest hinder the Recovery? (joint with M. Hadzi-Vaskov and L. A. Ricci)

Latin America and the Caribbean Hit by One Shock on Top of Another (joint with M. Appendino and I. Goldfajn)

How Taxes can Support Growth and Reduce Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea)

F&D articles

Doing it Right (joint with A. de la Torre and D. Lederman), F&D, vol.52 (3)

Selected Issue

Chile's Pension System in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Impact and Reform Options (joint with C. Evans), 2021, IMF Country Report No. 21/84

Other Published Materials

Spillovers of US Monetary Tightening to Latin America": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere (2022, joint with M. Appendino and T. Komatsuzaki)

The Inflation Surge: Policy Trade-offs Amid Uncertainty": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere (2022, joint with M. Appendino and T. Komatsuzaki)

"Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Trends and the COVID-19 Shock": Regional Economic Outlook (2022, joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea and I. Duarte)

"Tax Policy for Inclusive Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere. (2021, joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea and C. Pizzinelli)

"Latin American Labor Markets During COVID-19": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper 2. (2020, joint T. Komatsuzaki, C. Pizzinelli, and J. Roldos)

"Capital Flows to Latin America in the Aftermath of the Commodities Super Cycle": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper. (2019, joint with A. David and C. Goncalves)

"Labor Market Dynamics and Informality Over the Business Cycle in LAC": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper. (2019, joint with A. David, Camila Perez, and J. Roldos)

Books

Better Neighbors (joint with C. Bown, D. Lederman, and R. Robertson), 2017, World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25736, December.

Latin American Entrepreneurs : Many Firms but Little Innovation (joint with D. Lederman, J. Messina, and J. Rigolini), 2014, World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 16457, December.

Publications in Journals (Refereed)

Assessing Chile’s pension system: challenges and reform options (joint with Christopher Evans), 2024, Economia, the Journal of LACEA

The return of expansionary austerity: Firms' investment response to fiscal adjustments in emerging markets (joint with Nicolas Magud), 2024, Journal of International Money and Finance.

The Macroeconomic Impact of Social Unrest (joint with M. Hadzi-Vaskov and L.A. Ricci), forthcoming, B.E. Journal of Macroeconomcis

The Macroeconomic and Socioeconomic Effects of Structural Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean (joint with A. David and T. Komatsuzaki), 2022, Economia Journal

Latent Trade Diversification and its Relevance for Macroeconomic Stability (joint with D. Lederman and D. Rojas), 2022, The World Bank Economic Review

On the Effectiveness of Containment Measures in Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Labour Market Characteristics and Governance (joint with A. David), 2021, Applied Economic Letters

Macroprudential Policies from a Microprudential Angle: A Note (joint with Tito Cordella), 2020, Latin American Journal of Central Banking

Are all trade agreements equal? The role of distance in shaping the effect of economic integration agreements on trade flows (joint with R. Freeman), 2019, Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv)

The volatility of world trade in the 21st century: Whose fault is it anyway? (joint with F. Bennett, D. Lederman, and D. Rojas), 2019, The World Economy

Samuel Pienknagura

Samuel Pienknagura is a senior economist in the Structural and Climate Policies Division, where he is currently focused on studying the determinants of innovation in and the deployment of green technologies. Previously, he worked as senior economist in the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department Regional Studies Division, leading several analytical chapters prepared for the Regional Economic Outlook. Before joining the IMF, he was a senior economist at the World Bank. His work focuses on a range of topics, including labor markets, international trade and the impact of macro shocks on firm dynamics. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Email: SPIENKNAGURA@imf.org

Fluent In: Spanish.

Education:

PhD in Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011

M.Sc. in Economics, CEMFI, 2005

B.Sc. in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2003


Previous Experience:

IMF, Research Department, Structural and Climate Policies Division, 2022-present

IMF, Western Hemisphere Department, Regional Studies Division, 2019-2022

World Bank, Macro and Trade Global Practice, 2017-2019

World Bank, Office of the Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2011-2017


Field of Expertise:

Labor Economics

International Trade

International Macroeconomics

Development Economics

IMF Books and Working Papers:

Central Bank Independence and Inflation in Latin America—Through the Lens of History , Working Paper No. 2022/186 , September 16, 2022

The Return of Expansionary Austerity: Firms’ Investment Response to Fiscal Adjustments in Emerging Markets , Working Paper No. 2022/070 , April 08, 2022

Tax Policy for Inclusive Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean , Working Paper No. 2022/008 , January 21, 2022

Assessing Chile's Pension System: Challenges and Reform Options , Working Paper No. 2021/232 , September 10, 2021

The Macroeconomic Impact of Social Unrest , Working Paper No. 2021/135 , May 07, 2021

The Macroeconomic Effects of Structural Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean , Working Paper No. 20/195 , September 25, 2020

Labor Market Dynamics, Informality and Regulations in Latin America , Working Paper No. 20/19 , January 31, 2020

iMFdirect Blog Posts

Pandemic Persistence Clouds Latin America and the Caribbean Recovery (joint J. Roldos and A. Werner)

Could Renewed Social Unrest hinder the Recovery? (joint with M. Hadzi-Vaskov and L. A. Ricci)

Latin America and the Caribbean Hit by One Shock on Top of Another (joint with M. Appendino and I. Goldfajn)

How Taxes can Support Growth and Reduce Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea)

F&D articles

Doing it Right (joint with A. de la Torre and D. Lederman), F&D, vol.52 (3)

Selected Issue

Chile's Pension System in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Impact and Reform Options (joint with C. Evans), 2021, IMF Country Report No. 21/84

Other Published Materials

Spillovers of US Monetary Tightening to Latin America": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere (2022, joint with M. Appendino and T. Komatsuzaki)

The Inflation Surge: Policy Trade-offs Amid Uncertainty": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere (2022, joint with M. Appendino and T. Komatsuzaki)

"Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent Trends and the COVID-19 Shock": Regional Economic Outlook (2022, joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea and I. Duarte)

"Tax Policy for Inclusive Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere. (2021, joint with S. Acosta-Ormaechea and C. Pizzinelli)

"Latin American Labor Markets During COVID-19": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper 2. (2020, joint T. Komatsuzaki, C. Pizzinelli, and J. Roldos)

"Capital Flows to Latin America in the Aftermath of the Commodities Super Cycle": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper. (2019, joint with A. David and C. Goncalves)

"Labor Market Dynamics and Informality Over the Business Cycle in LAC": Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, Background Paper. (2019, joint with A. David, Camila Perez, and J. Roldos)

Books

Better Neighbors (joint with C. Bown, D. Lederman, and R. Robertson), 2017, World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 25736, December.

Latin American Entrepreneurs : Many Firms but Little Innovation (joint with D. Lederman, J. Messina, and J. Rigolini), 2014, World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 16457, December.

Publications in Journals (Refereed)

Assessing Chile’s pension system: challenges and reform options (joint with Christopher Evans), 2024, Economia, the Journal of LACEA

The return of expansionary austerity: Firms' investment response to fiscal adjustments in emerging markets (joint with Nicolas Magud), 2024, Journal of International Money and Finance.

The Macroeconomic Impact of Social Unrest (joint with M. Hadzi-Vaskov and L.A. Ricci), forthcoming, B.E. Journal of Macroeconomcis

The Macroeconomic and Socioeconomic Effects of Structural Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean (joint with A. David and T. Komatsuzaki), 2022, Economia Journal

Latent Trade Diversification and its Relevance for Macroeconomic Stability (joint with D. Lederman and D. Rojas), 2022, The World Bank Economic Review

On the Effectiveness of Containment Measures in Controlling the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Labour Market Characteristics and Governance (joint with A. David), 2021, Applied Economic Letters

Macroprudential Policies from a Microprudential Angle: A Note (joint with Tito Cordella), 2020, Latin American Journal of Central Banking

Are all trade agreements equal? The role of distance in shaping the effect of economic integration agreements on trade flows (joint with R. Freeman), 2019, Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv)

The volatility of world trade in the 21st century: Whose fault is it anyway? (joint with F. Bennett, D. Lederman, and D. Rojas), 2019, The World Economy