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Equilibrium urban unemployment in developing countries: Is migration the culprit?

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  • Stark, Oded
  • Gupta, Manash Ranjan
  • Levhari, David

Abstract

This paper challenges the prediction of Todaro's model of rural-to-urban migration that an ‘increase in urban employment increases urban unemployed.’ It is shown that if the urban demand for labor is isoelastic or inelastic, creation of urban jobs causes urban unemployment to decline and urban-to-rural migration to take place. Moreover, urban job creation always reduces the rate of urban unemployment. The paper then remodels the urban job search process and derives the result that equilibrium urban unemployment would not vanish even if the urban-rural wage gap were eliminated.

Suggested Citation

  • Stark, Oded & Gupta, Manash Ranjan & Levhari, David, 1991. "Equilibrium urban unemployment in developing countries: Is migration the culprit?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 37(4), pages 477-482.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:279515
    DOI: 10.1016/0165-1765(91)90090-8
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    Cited by:

    1. Lall, Somik V. & Selod, Harris & Shalizi, Zmarak, 2006. "Rural-urban migration in developing countries : a survey of theoretical predictions and empirical findings," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3915, The World Bank.
    2. Brueckner, Jan K. & Zenou, Yves, 1999. "Harris-Todaro models with a land market," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 317-339, May.
    3. Napolitano, Oreste & Bonasia, Mariangela, 2010. "Determinants of different internal migration trends: the Italian experience," MPRA Paper 21734, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Zenou, Yves, 2005. "The Todaro Paradox Revisited," IZA Discussion Papers 1861, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Silaghi, Monica Ioana & Ghatak, Subrata, 2011. "Why do not They Move from Rural to Urban Areas? Inter-Regional Migration in Romania," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(1), pages 143-158, March.
    6. Cho, Cheol-Joo, 2017. "The displacement and attraction effects in interurban migration: An application of the input-output scheme to the case of large cities in Korea," Economics Discussion Papers 2017-49, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    7. Masaharu Nagashima, 2018. "A condition for the reduction of urban unemployment in the Harris–Todaro model," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 243-255, April.
    8. Lee, Chul-In, 2008. "Migration and the wage and unemployment gaps between urban and non-urban sectors: A dynamic general equilibrium reinterpretation of the Harris-Todaro equilibrium," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 1416-1434, December.
    9. Zenou, Yves, 2008. "Job search and mobility in developing countries. Theory and policy implications," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(2), pages 336-355, June.
    10. Yves Zenou, 2011. "Rural–Urban Migration And Unemployment: Theory And Policy Implications," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1), pages 65-82, February.
    11. Kul Bhatia, 2001. "Specific and mobile capital, migration and unemployment in a Harris-Todaro model," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 207-222.

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