Publication

This paper looks on the impact of migration and remittances on labor market participation and time allocation in migrant-sending families. Departing from the common finding that labor market participation is lower in migrant households, it investigates whether the reasons for inactivity, i.e. leisure consumption, home production and higher education are affected by migration. Based on household survey data from Moldova, the authors challenge the assertion that those who stay behind consume more leisure. Instead, living in a migrant household implies higher probabilities of intra-household labor substitution and a substantially higher likelihood of university enrolment.