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Temporary Work Visas as US-Haiti Development Cooperation: A Preliminary Impact Evaluation

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  • Clemens, Michael A.

    (George Mason University)

  • Postel, Hannah M.

    (Princeton University)

Abstract

We report a small-sample, preliminary evaluation of the economic impact of temporary overseas work by Haitian agricultural workers. This work occurs in the United States in the context of a pilot program designed as a form of post-disaster development assistance to Haiti. We find that the effects of matching new seasonal agricultural jobs in the US with Haitian workers differs markedly from the effects of more traditional forms of assistance to Haiti, in three ways: The economic benefits are shared roughly equally between Haiti and the United States; these benefits are very large, including raising the value of Haitian workers' labor by a multiple of fifteen; and the portion of the benefits accruing to Haiti is uncommonly well targeted for the direct benefit of poor Haitian households. We discuss implementation challenges faced by the program and the potential for policies of this kind to complement more traditional forms of development and humanitarian assistance.

Suggested Citation

  • Clemens, Michael A. & Postel, Hannah M., 2017. "Temporary Work Visas as US-Haiti Development Cooperation: A Preliminary Impact Evaluation," IZA Discussion Papers 10548, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10548
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    Cited by:

    1. Barker, Nathan & Davis, C. Austin & López-Peña, Paula & Mitchell, Harrison & Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq & Naguib, Karim & Reimão, Maira Emy & Shenoy, Ashish & Vernot, Corey, 2023. "Migration and resilience during a global crisis," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Michael A. Clemens, 2018. "Testing for Repugnance in Economic Transactions: Evidence from Guest Work in the Gulf," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(S1), pages 5-44.
    3. Marco Caselli, 2019. "“Let Us Help Them at Home”: Policies and Misunderstandings on Migrant Flows Across the Mediterranean Border," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 983-993, November.
    4. Maud HAZAN & Claire ZANUSO & Rafael NOVELLA, 2018. "Aspirations, attentes et réalités de la jeunesse dans un Etat fragile : le cas haïtien," Working Paper 98e53f2a-19d2-4649-a3e5-6, Agence française de développement.
    5. Nathan Barker & Austin Davis & Paula López-Peña & Harrison Mitchell & Mushfiq Mobarak & Karim Naguib & Maira Emy Reimão & Ashish Shenoy & Corey Vernot, 2020. "Migration and the labour market impacts of COVID-19," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-139, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    development; policy; aid; assistance; migration; mobility; poverty; guest work; agriculture; farm;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O22 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Project Analysis
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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