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Microfinance among the Maya: Tracking the Progress of Borrowers
Author(s) -
Wydick Bruce
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
development and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-7660
pISSN - 0012-155X
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7660.00264
Subject(s) - microfinance , institution , maya , developing country , sample (material) , economics , demographic economics , development economics , economic growth , labour economics , business , political science , geography , chromatography , law , chemistry , archaeology
Microfinance has become an increasingly widespread tool for fostering economic growth among the poor in developing countries. This study tracks the progress of 239 borrowers in a Guatemalan microfinance institution from 1994 to 1999. Results from the study show that rapid gains in employment within the sample enterprises after initial credit access were followed by a protracted period of stagnation in employment growth. Other results highlight gender differences in response to credit access, showing — surprisingly — that the long–run growth in hired labour for female entrepreneurs was slightly greater than that for male entrepreneurs.