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A Test of the New Economics of Labor Migration Hypothesis: Evidence from Rural Kenya

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  • Sindi, Kirimi
  • Kirimi, Lilian

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to test the new economics of labor migration theory (NELM) using panel data on rural farm households in Kenya. There are no significant migration-induced labor losses while number of migrants rather than level of remittances, positively influence crop and total farm income. Unlike findings from other studies, crop income does not decrease as migrants leave their households. The implication is that this finding may not support the predictions of NELM, that migration is associated with lost-labor effects which may be partially or fully offset by remittances. However, study findings indicate that taken together, migration and remittances play a role in production activities of migrant-sending households.

Suggested Citation

  • Sindi, Kirimi & Kirimi, Lilian, 2006. "A Test of the New Economics of Labor Migration Hypothesis: Evidence from Rural Kenya," 2006 Annual meeting, July 23-26, Long Beach, CA 21257, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea06:21257
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.21257
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Atsede Desta Tegegne & Marianne Penker, 2016. "Determinants of rural out-migration in Ethiopia: Who stays and who goes?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 35(34), pages 1011-1044.
    2. Farai Jena, 2015. "Do Migrant Remittances Affect Household Purchases of Physical Investments and Durable Goods? Evidence for Kenya," Working Paper Series 7915, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    3. Zhao, Sudan & Jiang, Yongmu, 2022. "Heterogeneous effects of rural–urban migration and migrant earnings on land efficiency: Empirical evidence from China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Thabiso Lucky Malatji, 2022. "Cross Border Migration as a Poverty Alleviation Strategy; a Comparative Study between Immigrants from Zimbabwe to South Africa and Mexico to United States of America," Eurasian Journal of Social Sciences, Eurasian Publications, vol. 10(4), pages 226-235.
    5. Pan, Zehan & Xu, Wei & Wang, Guixin & Li, Sen & Yang, Chuankai, 2020. "Will remittances suppress or increase household income in the migrant-sending areas? Modeling the effects of remittances in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    6. Imran SARIHASAN, 2016. "Immigration Growth Tendencies In Oecd Countries," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 12, pages 547-553, December.

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