Migration, Transfers and Child Labor

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may Abstract:We examine agricultural child labor in the context of emigration, transfers, and the ability to hire outside labor. We start by developing a theoretical background based on Basu and Van, (1998), Basu, (1999, 2000 and Epstein and Kahana (2008) and show how hiring labor from outside the household and transfers to the household might induce a reduction in children's working hours. Analysis using Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) data on the Kagera region in Tanzania lend support to the hypothesis that both emigration and remittances reduce child labor.JEL classification: D62, F22, I30, J13, J20, J24, O15

Remittances and child labor in Bolivia

“…Alcaraz et al (2012) find a significant increase in the prevalence of child labor in Mexico following the decline in remittances resulting from the 2008 US financial crisis. Dimova et al (2015) find evidence that migrant transfers reduce the supply of child labor in Tanzania. The underlying assumption in all of these studies is that remittances help reduce liquidity constraints and increase household income sufficiently to reduce the need for child labor.…”

“…With the exception of Dimova et al (2015), all of the empirical studies mentioned above measure the effects of remittances on child labor at the extensive margins, i.e., whether a child works or not. While this is indeed an important point, it may underestimate the full impact of remittances.…”

Internal versus International Migration

“…Yang (2008) finds that increased receipt of overseas remittances due to favorable exchange rate movements in the Philippines increases child schooling and educational expenditure, while reducing child labor. Dimova, Epstein, and Gang (2011), using Living Standards Measurement Survey data on the Kagera region in Tanzania, find empirical support for the hypothesis that both emigration and remittances reduce child labor. In a theoretical model of child labor, Epstein and Kahana (2008) show that the remittances sent by the emigrating parents might enable not only their children, but also others, to stop working.…”

Timing and duration of paternal migration and the educational attainment of left‐behind children: Evidence from rural China

“…One the one hand, parental migration entails parental absence, which results in the lack of parental care and supervision, and therefore, leads to lower school attainment and poor academic performance (Lee, 2011;Li et al, 2017;Lu & Treiman, 2007;Meng & Yamauchi, 2017;Song et al, 2018;Wu & Zhang, 2017;Zhang et al, 2014;Zhou, Murphy, & Tao, 2014). On the other hand, parental migration increases household income, which reduces child labor and also enables more resources to be invested in a child's human capital (Bai et al, 2018;Bryant, 2005;Chen et al, 2009;Dimova, Epstein, & Gang, 2015;Edwards & Ureta, 2003;Hanson & Woodruff, 2003;Kandel & Kao, 2001;Kuhn, 2006;Lu & Treiman, 2007;Mansuri, 2006). In addition, for older children, parental migration exerts an aspirational effect, as it may increase the prospect of future migration for those children, which, in turn, changes their educational aspirations (Dustmann, 2008;Jampaklay, 2006b;Kandel & Kao, 2001;Kochar, 2004;McKenzie & Rapoport, 2011).…”