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Entrepreneurship of the Left-Behind

In: Labor Market Issues in China

Author

Listed:
  • Corrado Giulietti
  • Jackline Wahba
  • Klaus F. Zimmermann

Abstract

While there is evidence that return migration promotes entrepreneurship and self-employment of those who migrated, previous studies have not focused on whether migration provides the same benefits to individuals who did not migrate. Using a unique dataset that provides information on both current and return migrants in rural China (RUMiC), we investigate the impact of migration on entrepreneurship among individuals with no migration experience. We explore the self-employment choices of individuals who live in households with return migrants and individuals who live in households that have migrants currently in the city, comparing them with individuals living in non-migrant households. Our methodology allows us to control for the potential endogeneity between the migration and self-employment decisions. The results show that return migration promotes self-employment among household members who have not migrated. However, left-behind individuals are less likely to be self-employed when compared with those living in non-migrant households.

Suggested Citation

  • Corrado Giulietti & Jackline Wahba & Klaus F. Zimmermann, 2013. "Entrepreneurship of the Left-Behind," Research in Labor Economics, in: Labor Market Issues in China, pages 65-92, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:rleczz:s0147-9121(2013)0000037007
    DOI: 10.1108/S0147-9121(2013)0000037007
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    Cited by:

    1. Akay, Alpaslan & Bargain, Olivier B. & Giulietti, Corrado & Robalino, Juan D. & Zimmermann, Klaus F., 2016. "Remittances and relative concerns in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 191-207.
    2. Naudé, Wim & Siegel, Melissa & Marchand, Katrin, 2015. "Migration, Entrepreneurship and Development: A Critical Review," IZA Discussion Papers 9284, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Mehtap Akgüç & Corrado Giulietti & Klaus Zimmermann, 2014. "The RUMiC longitudinal survey: fostering research on labor markets in China," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Boker Poumie & Dounya Matsop Claude, 2021. "Does Foreign Capital Really Matter for Employment? Evidence from Agricultural Dominance African Countries," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(2), pages 88-104, June.
    5. Ren Mu & Alan Brauw, 2015. "Migration and young child nutrition: evidence from rural China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(3), pages 631-657, July.
    6. Chen, Yuanyuan & Wang, Haining & Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2023. "Education and Migrant Health in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    7. Mahé, Clothilde & Naudé, Wim, 2016. "Migration, occupation and education: Evidence from Ghana," MERIT Working Papers 2016-018, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    8. Brück, Tilman & Mahe, Clotilde & Naudé, Wim, 2018. "Return Migration and Self-Employment: Evidence from Kyrgyzstan," IZA Discussion Papers 11332, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Mahé, Clothilde, 2016. "Skills and entrepreneurship: Are return migrants 'Jacks-of-all-trades'?," MERIT Working Papers 2016-071, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    10. Zhang, Yi & Matz, Julia Anna, 2017. "On the train to brain gain in rural China," Discussion Papers 252443, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    11. Edoardo Cefala & Giovanni Facchini & Corrado Giulietti & Jackie Wahba & Chuhong Wang, 2019. "The survey on migration and the reshaping of consumption patterns (MARCO_P)," Discussion Papers 2019-05, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    12. Mahe, Clotilde, 2017. "Occupational choice of return migrants: Is there a 'Jack-of-all-trades' effect?," MERIT Working Papers 2017-039, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    13. Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2021. "Education and migrant entrepreneurship in urban China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 506-529.
    14. Xu, Hao, 2017. "The time use pattern and labour supply of the left behind spouse and children in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(S), pages 77-101.
    15. Tobias Stöhr, 2015. "Siblings’ interaction in migration decisions: who provides for the elderly left behind?," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 28(3), pages 593-629, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Self-employment; rural; urban migration; RUMiC dataset;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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