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Migration and Unemployment in South Africa: When Motivation Surpasses the Theory

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  • Katy Cornwell
  • Brett Inder

Abstract

This paper looks at the connection between internal migration and unemployment in South Africa. We examine whether rural-urban migrants are more likely to be unemployed, in informal sector employment or underemployed than non-migrants. We build on standard economic theory to predict that rates of unemployment and of participation in the informal sector ought to be much higher for migrants than for non-migrants. The empirical evidence we present, based on the 1993 and 1994 October Household Surveys, provides only some support for this theory. Results suggest that compared to job seeking non-migrants, recent migrants do well at finding formal employment, and are much less likely to be unemployed.

Suggested Citation

  • Katy Cornwell & Brett Inder, 2004. "Migration and Unemployment in South Africa: When Motivation Surpasses the Theory," Monash Econometrics and Business Statistics Working Papers 2/04, Monash University, Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.
    • Handle: RePEc:msh:ebswps:2004-2
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    File URL: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/ebs/pubs/wpapers/2004/wp2-04.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Todaro, Michael P, 1969. "A Model for Labor Migration and Urban Unemployment in Less Developed Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(1), pages 138-148, March.
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    6. Todaro, Michael P, 1986. "Internal Migration and Urban Employment: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(3), pages 566-569, June.
    7. Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi & Knight, John, 2004. "Unemployment in South Africa: The Nature of the Beast," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 391-408, March.
    8. Hoddinott, John, 1996. "Wages and Unemployment in an Urban African Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(439), pages 1610-1626, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dinkelman, Taryn & Schulhofer-Wohl, Sam, 2015. "Migration, congestion externalities, and the evaluation of spatial investments," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 189-202.
    2. Ahmad Nawaz & Muhammad Shakeel & Sadia Mushtaq, 2022. "Unemployment, Governance And Migration Flows In Pakistan," Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 11(2), pages 31-43, June.
    3. Douglas Woodward & Robert Rolfe & André Ligthelm & Paulo Guimarães, 2011. "The Viability Of Informal Microenterprise In South Africa," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(01), pages 65-86.
    4. Hussain, Nor Ermawati & Shaari, Mohd Shahidan & Mohamad Akhir, Noor Haslina & Chau, Diana Nabila Abdullah, 2018. "Macroeconomic Variables and In-Migration in Malaysia’s Developed States," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 52(1), pages 225-241.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Africa; South Africa; Unemployment; Informal Sector; Rural-Urban Migration; Labour Turnover;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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