IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/deveco/v52y2014i1p52-67.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Note on the Labor Market Effects of Remittances in Latin American and Caribbean Countries: Do Thresholds Exist?

Author

Listed:
  • Mahalia Jackman

Abstract

type="main"> The labor market effects of remittances have long been examined in the empirical literature. To date, the results have been mixed: some authors observe a negative association between remittances and unemployment while others report that remittances increase unemployment. This study empirically examines the impact of remittances on unemployment using macroeconomic data for a sample of 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Specifically, the study tests whether there is a nonlinear relationship between the variables. Results suggest that when the remittance-to-GDP ratio is low, remittances have a positive and significant impact on unemployment. However, as they increase, remittances are negatively associated with unemployment. This suggests the possibility that estimations based on the assumption of a linear relationship between remittances and labor may mask the true relationship between the variables.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahalia Jackman, 2014. "A Note on the Labor Market Effects of Remittances in Latin American and Caribbean Countries: Do Thresholds Exist?," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 52(1), pages 52-67, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:deveco:v:52:y:2014:i:1:p:52-67
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/deve.12034
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farmer, Roger, 2009. "Fiscal Policy Can Reduce Unemployment: But There is a Better Alternative," CEPR Discussion Papers 7526, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Aysit Tansel & Pinar Yasar, 2010. "Macroeconomic impact of remittances on output growth: Evidence from Turkey," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 7(2), pages 132-143, October.
    3. Martha Cruz Zuniga, 2011. "ON THE PATH TO ECONOMIC GROWTH, DO REMITTANCES HELP? EVIDENCE FROM PANEL VARs," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 49(2), pages 171-202, June.
    4. Hasan, Rana & Mitra, Devashish & Ranjan, Priya & Ahsan, Reshad N., 2012. "Trade liberalization and unemployment: Theory and evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 269-280.
    5. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Prat, Julien & Schmerer, Hans-Jörg, 2011. "Trade and unemployment: What do the data say?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(6), pages 741-758, August.
    6. Bussolo, Maurizio & Medvedev, Denis, 2008. "Do Remittances Have a Flip Side? A General Equilibrium Analysis of Remittances, Labor Supply Responses and Policy Options for Jamaica," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 23, pages 734-764.
    7. Ahamada, Ibrahim & Coulibaly, Dramane, 2011. "How does financial development influence the impact of remittances on growth volatility?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 2748-2760.
    8. Connel Fullenkamp & Mr. Thomas F. Cosimano & Michael T. Gapen & Mr. Ralph Chami & Mr. Peter J Montiel & Mr. Adolfo Barajas, 2008. "Macroeconomic Consequences of Remittances," IMF Occasional Papers 2008/001, International Monetary Fund.
    9. Arturo Galindo & Fabio Schiantarelli, 2002. "Credit Constraints in Latin America: An Overview of the Micro Evidence," Research Department Publications 4305, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    10. Jim Airola, 2008. "Labor supply in response to remittance income: the case of Mexico," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 41(2), pages 69-78, January-M.
    11. Stephen Nickell & Luca Nunziata & Wolfgang Ochel, 2005. "Unemployment in the OECD Since the 1960s. What Do We Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(500), pages 1-27, January.
    12. Dimitris Christopoulos & John Loizides & Efthymios Tsionas, 2005. "The Abrams curve of government size and unemployment: evidence from panel data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(10), pages 1193-1199.
    13. Hassan, Gazi & Shakur, Shamim & Bhuyan, Mohammed, 2012. "Nonlinear growth effect of remittances in recipient countries: an econometric analysis of remittances-growth nexus in Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 40086, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Edsel L. Beja Jr, 2011. "Do international remittances cause Dutch disease?," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 8(2), pages 132-140, October.
    15. Lee, Jim, 2000. "The Robustness of Okun's Law: Evidence from OECD Countries," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 331-356, April.
    16. Hansen, Bruce E, 1996. "Inference When a Nuisance Parameter Is Not Identified under the Null Hypothesis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(2), pages 413-430, March.
    17. Ms. Dalia S Hakura & Mr. Ralph Chami & Mr. Peter J Montiel, 2009. "Remittances: An Automatic Output Stabilizer?," IMF Working Papers 2009/091, International Monetary Fund.
    18. Marco Battaglini & Stephen Coate, 2011. "Fiscal Policy and Unemployment," NBER Working Papers 17562, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Alberto Posso, 2012. "Remittances And Aggregate Labor Supply: Evidence From Sixty‐Six Developing Nations," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 50(1), pages 25-39, March.
    20. Stephen Drinkwater & Paul Levine & Emanuela Lotti, 2006. "Labour Market and Investment Effects of Remittances," School of Economics Discussion Papers 1906, School of Economics, University of Surrey.
    21. Mahalia Jackman & Roland Craigwell & Winston Moore, 2009. "Economic volatility and remittances: evidence from SIDS," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 36(2), pages 135-146, May.
    22. Leigh, Andrew & Neill, Christine, 2011. "Can national infrastructure spending reduce local unemployment? Evidence from an Australian roads program," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(2), pages 150-153.
    23. Kim, Namsuk, 2007. "The impact of remittances on labor supply : the case of Jamaica," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4120, The World Bank.
    24. Arturo Galindo & Fabio Schiantarelli, 2002. "Credit Constraints in Latin America: An Overview of the Micro Evidence," Research Department Publications 3165, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    25. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Pozo, Susan, 2004. "Workers' Remittances and the Real Exchange Rate: A Paradox of Gifts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1407-1417, August.
    26. Roland Craigwell & Mahalia Jackman & Winston Moore, 2010. "Economic volatility and remittances," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(1), pages 25-42, April.
    27. Doménech, Rafael & Garcí­a, José Ramón, 2008. "Unemployment, taxation and public expenditure in OECD economies," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 202-217, March.
    28. Horst Feldmann, 2006. "Government Size and Unemployment: Evidence from Industrial Countries," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 443-459, June.
    29. Abrams, Burton A, 1999. "The Effect of Government Size on the Unemployment Rate," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 99(3-4), pages 395-401, June.
    30. Roger E. A. Farmer, 2009. "Fiscal Policy Can Reduce Unemployment: But There is a Less Costly and More Effective Alternative," NBER Working Papers 15021, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    31. T. K. Jayaraman & Chee-Keong Choong & Ronald Kumar, 2010. "CASE STUDY: Role of remittances in Tongan economy," Migration Letters, Migration Letters, vol. 7(2), pages 224-230, October.
    32. Aysit Tansel & Pinar Yasar, 2010. "Macroeconomic impact of remittances on output growth: Evidence from Turkey," Migration Letters, Transnational Press London, UK, vol. 7(2), pages 132-143, October.
    33. Evans Jadotte, 2009. "International Migration, Remittances and Labour Supply: The Case of the Republic of Haiti," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2009-28, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Artjoms Ivlevs, 2016. "Remittances and informal work," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(7), pages 1172-1190, October.
    2. Gaston Brice Nkoumou Ngoa, 2022. "Do remittances affect labor market outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(2), pages 303-316.
    3. repec:aly:journl:202047 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Shair, Waqas & Tariq Majeed, Muhammad & Ali, Amjad, 2021. "Labour Participation Decision and Preferences towards Different Employment Status in Response to Remittances: Evidence from the Provincial Capital of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK), Pakistan," MPRA Paper 106330, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gloria Clarissa O. Dzeha, 2016. "The decipher, theory or empirics: a review of remittance studies," African Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 5(2), pages 113-134.
    2. Ahmet AYSU & Gökhan DÖKMEN, 2011. "An Investigation on the Relationship between Government Size and Unemployment Rate: Evidence from OECD Countries," Sosyoekonomi Journal, Sosyoekonomi Society, issue 16(16).
    3. Shair, Waqas & Tariq Majeed, Muhammad & Ali, Amjad, 2021. "Labour Participation Decision and Preferences towards Different Employment Status in Response to Remittances: Evidence from the Provincial Capital of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK), Pakistan," MPRA Paper 106330, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Chami, Ralph. & Ernst, Ekkehard & Fullenkamp, Connel. & Oeking, Anne., 2018. "Are remittances good for labor markets in LICs, MICs and Fragile States?," ILO Working Papers 994987690202676, International Labour Organization.
    5. Ma, Yechi & Chen, Zhiguo & Shinwari, Riazullah & Khan, Zeeshan, 2021. "Financialization, globalization, and Dutch disease: Is Dutch disease exist for resources rich countries?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    6. Mbekeni Lutho & Phiri Andrew, 2020. "South African Unemployment in the Post-Financial Crisis Era: What are the Determinants?," Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, Sciendo, vol. 20(2), pages 230-248, December.
    7. Ebele Stella Nwokoye & Clement Izuchukwu Igbanugo & Stephen Kelechi Dimnwobi, 2020. "International migrant remittances and labour force participation in Nigeria," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 125-137, June.
    8. Artjoms Ivlevs, 2016. "Remittances and informal work," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(7), pages 1172-1190, October.
    9. Bouoiyour, Jamal & Miftah, Amal & Selmi, Refk, 2014. "Do Financial Flows raise or reduce Economic growth Volatility? Some Lessons from Moroccan case," MPRA Paper 57258, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Oluwatosin Adeniyi & Kazeem Ajide & Ibrahim D. Raheem, 2019. "Remittances and output growth volatility in developing countries: Does financial development dampen or magnify the effects?," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 865-882, March.
    11. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2020. "Development Aid, Remittances Inflows and Wages in the Manufacturing Sector of Recipient-Countries," EconStor Preprints 213439, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    12. Burton A. Abrams & Siyan Wang, 2007. "Government Outlays, Economic Growth and Unemployment: A VAR Model," Working Papers 07-13, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    13. Puja Guha, 2014. "Economics of Migration and Remittances: A Review Article," Working Papers id:5618, eSocialSciences.
    14. Siyan Wang & Burton A. Abrams, 2011. "The Effect of Government Size on the Steady-State Unemployment Rate: A Dynamic Perspective," Working Papers 11-12, University of Delaware, Department of Economics.
    15. Guha, Puja, 2013. "Macroeconomic effects of international remittances: The case of developing economies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 292-305.
    16. Sèna Kimm Gnangnon, 2020. "Development aid, remittances inflows and wages in the manufacturing sector," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 22(2), pages 278-304, December.
    17. Christian Hubert Ebeke, 2011. "Does the dual-citizenship recognition determine the level and the utilization of international remittances? Cross-Country Evidence," CERDI Working papers halshs-00559528, HAL.
    18. Ilham Haouas & Naceur Kheraief & Arusha Cooray & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad, 2019. "Time-Varying Casual Nexuses Between Remittances and Financial Development in Some MENA Countries," Working Papers 1294, Economic Research Forum, revised 2019.
    19. Antonio Afonso & Hüseyin Sen & Ayse Kaya, 2021. "Government Size, Unemployment and Inflation Nexus in Eight Large Emerging Market Economies," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 235(1), pages 133-170, March.
    20. Aisha Tauqir & Muhammad Tariq Majeed & Sadaf Kashif, 2022. "Foreign Direct Investment and Output Volatility Nexus: A Global Analysis," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 57(3), pages 283-309, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:deveco:v:52:y:2014:i:1:p:52-67. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/idegvjp.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.