The Real Impact of Improved Access to Finance: Evidence from Mexico
利用墨西哥阿兹特克银行在Elektra门店开设800多家分行这一自然实验，发现融资渠道改善显著提升了低收入人群的劳动力市场活动和收入水平。
ABSTRACT This paper provides new evidence on the impact of access to finance on poverty. It highlights an important channel through which access affects poverty—the labor market. The paper exploits the opening of Banco Azteca in Mexico, a unique “natural experiment” in which over 800 bank branches opened almost simultaneously in preexisting Elektra stores. Importantly, the bank has focused on previously underserved low‐income clients. Our key finding is a sizeable effect of access to finance on labor market activity and income levels, especially among low‐income individuals and those located in areas with lower preexisting bank penetration.