IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/68225.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

International Trade, Migration and Unemployment – The Role of Informal Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Marjit, Sugata
  • Mandal, Biswajit

Abstract

This paper provides an elaborate general equilibrium framework by including informal economic activities in a model of trade, migration and unemployment. Existence of informal activities is critical in generating positive employment effects of liberal trade policies. Following a tariff cut informal wage increases and rate of unemployment goes down under reasonable conditions. Next we generalize the benchmark model to capture the phenomenon of sequential migration: from agriculture to urban informal sector, and then to urban formal sector. The paper also extends the benchmark model to include both informal intermediate and final good.

Suggested Citation

  • Marjit, Sugata & Mandal, Biswajit, 2015. "International Trade, Migration and Unemployment – The Role of Informal Sector," MPRA Paper 68225, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:68225
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/68225/1/MPRA_paper_68225.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marjit, Sugata, 1991. "Agro-based industry and rural-urban migration : A case for an urban employment subsidy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 393-398, April.
    2. Stark, Oded & Bloom, David E, 1985. "The New Economics of Labor Migration," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 173-178, May.
    3. Marjit, Sugata, 2003. "Economic reform and informal wage--a general equilibrium analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 371-378, October.
    4. Chi‐Chur Chao & Eden S. H. Yu, 2001. "Import quotas, tied aid, capital accumulation, and welfare," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(3), pages 661-676, August.
    5. Reza Oladi, 2004. "Strategic quotas on foreign investment and migration," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 24(2), pages 289-306, August.
    6. Charles F. Manski, 2000. "Economic Analysis of Social Interactions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 115-136, Summer.
    7. Sugata Marjit & Vivekananda Mukherjee & Martin Kolmar, 2006. "Poverty, taxation and governance," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 325-333.
    8. Sugata Marjit & Saibal Kar, 2012. "Firm Heterogeneity, Informal Wage and Good Governance," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(4), pages 527-539, November.
    9. Montgomery, James D, 1991. "Social Networks and Labor-Market Outcomes: Toward an Economic Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(5), pages 1407-1418, December.
    10. Gupta, Manash Ranjan, 1997. "Informal sector and informal capital market in a small open less-developed economy," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 409-428, April.
    11. Henry W. Herzog Jr. & Alan M. Schlottmann, 1984. "Labor Force Mobility in the United States: Migration, Unemployment, and Remigration," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 9(1), pages 43-58, September.
    12. Ronald W. Jones, 2018. "The Structure of Simple General Equilibrium Models," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade Theory and Competitive Models Features, Values, and Criticisms, chapter 4, pages 61-84, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Chi-Chur Chao & Eden S. H. Yu, 2001. "Import quotas, tied aid, capital accumulation, and welfare," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 34(3), pages 661-676, August.
    14. Marjit, Sugata & Beladi, Hamid, 2003. "Possibility or impossibility of paradoxes in the small country Harris-Todaro framework: a unifying analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 379-385, October.
    15. Rauch, James E., 1991. "Modelling the informal sector formally," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 33-47, January.
    16. Hamid Beladi & Sugata Marjit, 1996. "An Analysis of Rural-Urban Migration and Protection," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 29(4), pages 930-940, November.
    17. Calvo-Armengol, Antoni & Jackson, Matthew O., 2007. "Networks in labor markets: Wage and employment dynamics and inequality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 132(1), pages 27-46, January.
    18. Katz, Eliakim & Stark, Oded, 1984. "Migration and Asymmetric Information: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(3), pages 533-534, June.
    19. Ronald Skeldon, 2008. "International Migration as a Tool in Development Policy: A Passing Phase?," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 34(1), pages 1-18, March.
    20. Oded Stark, 1991. "The Migration of Labor," Blackwell Books, Wiley Blackwell, number 1557860300, April.
    21. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Andrew F. Newman, 1998. "Information, the Dual Economy, and Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 65(4), pages 631-653.
    22. Birk, Angela, 2004. "Sequential Migration, and the German Reunification," HWWA Discussion Papers 305, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWA).
    23. Kaivan Munshi, 2011. "Strength in Numbers: Networks as a Solution to Occupational Traps," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 78(3), pages 1069-1101.
    24. Fields, Gary S., 2005. "A welfare economic analysis of labor market policies in the Harris-Todaro model," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 127-146, February.
    25. Dean Yang, 2006. "Why Do Migrants Return to Poor Countries? Evidence from Philippine Migrants' Responses to Exchange Rate Shocks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 88(4), pages 715-735, November.
    26. Birk, Angela, 2004. "Sequential Migration, and the German Reunification," Discussion Paper Series 26338, Hamburg Institute of International Economics.
    27. Mishra, Prachi, 2007. "Emigration and wages in source countries: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 180-199, January.
    28. Pedersen, Peder J. & Pytlikova, Mariola & Smith, Nina, 2008. "Selection and network effects--Migration flows into OECD countries 1990-2000," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(7), pages 1160-1186, October.
    29. Marjit, Sugata & Kar, Saibal, 2011. "The Outsiders: Economic Reform and Informal Labour in a Developing Economy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198071495.
    30. Sugata Marjit & Saibal Kar & Hamid Beladi, 2007. "Trade Reform and Informal Wages," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 313-320, May.
    31. Sarkar, Abhirup, 1989. "A Keynesian model of north-south trade," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 179-188, January.
    32. Gang, Ira N & Gangopadhyay, Shubhashis, 1987. "Optimal Policies in a Dual Economy with Open Unemployment and Surplus Labour," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(2), pages 378-387, June.
    33. Hamid Beladi & Reza Oladi, 2014. "Technical Progress, Urban Unemployment and Heterogeneous Firms," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 519-529, November.
    34. Gupta, Manash Ranjan, 1993. "Rural-urban migation, informal sector and development policies A theoretical analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 137-151, June.
    35. Dean Yang, 2006. "Why Do Migrants Return to Poor Countries? Evidence From Philippine Migrants%u2019 Responses to Exchange Rate Shocks," NBER Working Papers 12396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    36. Marty Chen, 2005. "Rethinking the Informal Economy: Linkages with the Formal Economy and the Formal Regulatory Environment," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2005-10, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Amarjyoti Mahanta, 2022. "The transition of labour in the presence of adaptation cost and labour market segmentation," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 109-125, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. M. Ali Khan, 2007. "The Harris-Todaro Hypothesis," PIDE-Working Papers 2007:16, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    2. Sugata Marjit & Reza Oladi, 2020. "Internal Migration, Minimum Rural Wage and Employment Guarantee: Recasting Harris-Todaro," Working Papers 2047, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.
    3. Amarjyoti Mahanta, 2022. "The transition of labour in the presence of adaptation cost and labour market segmentation," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 109-125, February.
    4. Shrimoyee Ganguly & Rajat Acharyya, 2021. "Trade liberalization, export quality, and three dimensions of wage inequality," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2157-2179, November.
    5. Sugata Marjit & Saibal Kar, 2012. "Firm Heterogeneity, Informal Wage and Good Governance," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(4), pages 527-539, November.
    6. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit & Banerjee, Dibyendu, 2006. "Economic Liberalization and Informal Wage in a Small Open Economy: Does Capital Mobility count?," MPRA Paper 1353, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. 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.
    8. Laurent Bossavie & Çağlar Özden, 2023. "Impacts of Temporary Migration on Development in Origin Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 38(2), pages 249-294.
    9. Parag Mahajan & Dean Yang, 2020. "Taken by Storm: Hurricanes, Migrant Networks, and US Immigration," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 250-277, April.
    10. Mitra, Sudeshna & Gupta, Kausik, 2017. "Liberalization and Welfare Conditions of a Developing Economy: A General Equilibrium Analysis," MPRA Paper 85230, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Marjit, Sugata & Kar, Saibal & Acharyya, Rajat, 2007. "Agricultural prospects and informal wage in general equilibrium," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 380-385, May.
    12. Hamid Beladi & Avik Chakrabarti & Sugata Marjit, 2010. "Skilled‐Unskilled Wage Inequality And Urban Unemployment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 997-1007, October.
    13. Titas Kumar Bandopadhyay, 2007. "Trade Reform, Capital Mobility, and Efficiency Wage in a Harris-Todaro Economy," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 46(2), pages 163-174.
    14. Chaudhuri, Sarbajit & Mukhopadhyay, Ujjaini, 2009. "Revisiting the Informal Sector: A General Equilibrium Approach," MPRA Paper 52135, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Kar, Saibal & Marjit, Sugata, 2004. "Wages, labour mobility and international trade," MPRA Paper 24101, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Dean Yang, 2008. "International Migration, Remittances and Household Investment: Evidence from Philippine Migrants' Exchange Rate Shocks," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(528), pages 591-630, April.
    17. Tiwari, Smriti, 2021. "Do macroeconomic fluctuations at destination matter in determining migrants’ return decisions?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    18. Antwi, James & Phillips, David C., 2013. "Wages and health worker retention: Evidence from public sector wage reforms in Ghana," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 101-115.
    19. Mezger Kveder, Cora Leonie & Flahaux, Marie-Laurence, 2013. "Returning to Dakar: A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Role of Migration Experience for Occupational Status," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 223-238.
    20. Saibal KAR & Biswajit MANDAL & Sugata MARJIT & Vivekananda MUKHERJEE, 2020. "Seeking Rent In The Informal Sector," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 91(1), pages 151-164, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    International Trade; Employment; Informal Wage; General Equilibrium.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D5 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium
    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:68225. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.