Remittances, Child Labor, and Schooling: Evidence from Colombia

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Development & Cultural Change
Year: 2020
Volume: 68
Issue: 4
Pages: 1257 - 1293

Authors (2)

Andres Cuadros-Menaca (not in RePEc) Arya Gaduh (University of Arkansas)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We estimate the causal impact of remittances on child labor and school participation in Colombia using data from its main metropolitan areas. We develop an instrumental variable strategy that leverages the unemployment shocks induced by the 2008 financial crisis in Colombian migrants’ main destination countries. We find that remittances reduce child labor but not schooling. Relative to their mean participation shares, these impacts are larger for younger children and girls. However, the reduction in child labor among girls is associated with a large increase in participation in household work. Finally, we also find that even though remittances reduce the labor supply of female adults, their percent-change impact on adults is smaller than that on children.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/702790
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25