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International Migration of Skilled and Unskilled Labour, Welfare and Skilled-unskilled Wage Inequality: a Simple Model

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  • Chaudhuri, Sarbajit

    (University of Calcutta)

Abstract

The paper shows that in a reasonable production structure for a developing economy a brain drain of skilled labour may raise the welfare of the economy while an emigration of unskilled labour is welfare reducing. Also an emigration of skilled/unskilled labour lowers the urban unemployment of unskilled labour and widens the skilled-unskilled wage-gap. The paper provides an alternative explanation for the increasing wage inequality in many less developed countries in the regime of liberalized trade and investment in terms of higher international mobility of skilled and unskilled labour during this period using a Harris-Todaro (1970) framework where the central principle of the Stolper-Samuelson theorem holds.

Suggested Citation

  • Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2004. "International Migration of Skilled and Unskilled Labour, Welfare and Skilled-unskilled Wage Inequality: a Simple Model," Journal of Economic Integration, Center for Economic Integration, Sejong University, vol. 19, pages 726-741.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:integr:0287
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Gupta Manash Ranjan & Dutta Priya Brata, 2014. "Skilled-Unskilled Wage Inequality, Growth of Skilled Labour and Development Policies," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-26, June.
    2. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2014. "Does Public Assistance for Skills Formation Necessarily Improve Wage Inequality in the Future?," MPRA Paper 57788, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Sarbajit Chaudhuri & Jayanta Kumar Dwibedi, 2022. "Anti‐immigration policy in developed countries: Welfare and distributional implications for developing economies," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 18(3), pages 358-381, September.
    4. Atanu Sengupta & Sanjoy De, 2021. "Bees Out of the Pandora’s Box: Economic Consequences of National Register in Assam," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 20(2), pages 143-160, December.
    5. Li, Xiaochun & Zhou, Yu, 2013. "An economic analysis of remittance of unskilled migration on skilled–unskilled wage inequality in labor host region," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 428-432.
    6. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2014. "Public Subsidy on Education, Welfare, and Wage Inequality in a Small Open Developed Economy: A Two-period Analysis," MPRA Paper 60330, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Priya Brata Dutta & Nirjhar Ghosh, 2021. "Wage Inequality and Unemployment in the Presence of Imported Intermediate Goods: A Theoretical Analysis," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 56(4), pages 375-399, November.
    8. Manash Ranjan Gupta & Priya Brata Dutta, 2018. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality and structural transformation in a dual economy," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 311-332, December.
    9. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2010. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality: A general equilibrium analysis," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 247-263, December.
    10. Dwibedi, Jayanta & Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2011. "Poverty alleviation programs, FDI-led growth and child labour under agricultural dualism," MPRA Paper 29997, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2010. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality, nontraded good and endogenous supply of skilled labour: A theoretical analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 923-934, September.
    12. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2012. "Skilled–unskilled wage inequality, product variety, public input and increasing returns: A static general equilibrium analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 502-513.
    13. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit, 2010. "Economic recession, demand constraint and labour markets in a developing economy," MPRA Paper 27433, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Sinduja Srinivasan, 2014. "Impact of Public Works on Household Occupational Choice Evidence from NREGS in India," Working Papers WR-1053, RAND Corporation.
    15. Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Dutta, Priya Brata, 2011. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality and unemployment: A general equilibrium analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 1977-1983, July.
    16. Priya Brata Dutta, 2014. "Skilled-unskilled wage inequality, product variety and unemployment: A static general equilibrium analysis," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 31-55, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    skilled labour; unskilled labour; emigration of labour; welfare; urban unemployment; skilled-unskilled wage gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General
    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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