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Remittances and informal work

Author

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  • Artjoms Ivlevs

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of remittances on informal employment in the migrants’ countries of origin, looking both at the remittance-receiving and non-migrant households. Design/methodology/approach - Using data from a large survey conducted in six transition economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the determinants of three labour market outcomes – not working, working formally and working informally – are estimated in a multinomial probit model. The endogeneity of remittances is dealt with instrumental variables following the two-stage residual inclusion technique. To assess possible impact of remittances on non-migrant households, conditional correlations between the labour market outcomes of non-migrant households and the region-level share of remittance receivers are obtained. Findings - Both correlational and instrumental variable analyses suggest that that receiving remittances increases the likelihood of working informally. At the regional level, high prevalence of remittances is associated with a higher likelihood of informal work among the non-migrant households. Migration and remittances may thus be contributing to informal employment in migration-sending countries. Research limitations/implications - The empirical analysis is based on cross-sectional data, which do not allow isolating the effects of unobserved respondent heterogeneity. To deal with this issue, future research could use panel data. Originality/value - The study explicitly considers the effects of remittances on formal and informal employment of remittances receivers as well as people who do not receive remittances. It advances the understanding of what drives informality in developing and transition economies.

Suggested Citation

  • Artjoms Ivlevs, 2016. "Remittances and informal work," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 37(7), pages 1172-1190, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijmpps:v:37:y:2016:i:7:p:1172-1190
    DOI: 10.1108/IJM-08-2015-0117
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    Cited by:

    1. Mr. Ben Kelmanson & Koralai Kirabaeva & Leandro Medina & Borislava Mircheva & Jason Weiss, 2019. "Explaining the Shadow Economy in Europe: Size, Causes and Policy Options," IMF Working Papers 2019/278, International Monetary Fund.
    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. Schneider, Friedrich & Khan, Shabeer & Baharom Abdul Hamid & Khan, Abidullah, 2019. "Does the tax undermine the effect of remittances on shadow economy?," Economics Discussion Papers 2019-67, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Indra Kant Bharti & Tulika Tripathi, 2020. "Effect of Remittance on Intergenerational Mobility in Case of Occupation," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 63(4), pages 1203-1221, December.
    5. Selçuk Akçay & Emre Karabulutoğlu, 2021. "Do remittances moderate financial development–informality nexus in North Africa?," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 33(1), pages 166-179, March.
    6. 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.
    7. Balde, Racky, 2021. "Financial development and small firms’ tax compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa," MERIT Working Papers 2021-041, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. Okello,Jimmy Apaa & Brownbridge,Martin & Canagarajah,Roy S., 2021. "Have Remittances Affected Real Unit Labor Costs in the Transition Economies of Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9513, The World Bank.
    9. Kpognon, Koffi D., 2022. "Effect of Natural Resources on the Size of Informal Economy in sub-Saharan Africa: An Empirical Investigation," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-14.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F24 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Remittances
    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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