Search results
1 – 10 of over 11000
This paper aims to examine the economic effect of immigration, in particular, government's ability to select human capital that benefits the economy.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the economic effect of immigration, in particular, government's ability to select human capital that benefits the economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The effects of recent migration to New Zealand are examined, drawing on government statistics. Outcomes are contrasted with policy intentions, and the effect of diversity is considered before examining the economic effect on Auckland city.
Findings
The government's assessment of human capital does not reflect market assessment. Reasons include systemic abuse, government valuation of qualifications that are not transferable, and insufficient value placed on language, culture, nor time required for adaptation. The best performing immigrants are those with similar cultures to the dominant NZ ethnic group.
Research limitations/implications
More research is needed to quantify impacts, however migration can also be linked to some barriers to growth including congestion costs and diversion of investment to low growth areas.
Practical implications
Government policies need to recognise culture is not neutral and the economic benefits of diversity may vary in time and region.
Social implications
Failure to recognise culture results in unemployment and under‐employment while migrants endure un‐met expectations. Migrants not assessed for human capital also exhibit cultural mis‐match, and is in danger of creating an emerging underclass.
Originality/value
There is a need to distinguish between economic leading immigrants and economic followers. Migrants from different cultures can lead economic growth by developing export markets but the market for such migrants can get saturated. The effects of migration change over time and each situation requires its own analysis.
Details
Keywords
Migrants’ remittances to Egypt have increased considerably in both size and importance over the past 40 years. This increase has made Egypt one of the top remittance recipients in…
Abstract
Purpose
Migrants’ remittances to Egypt have increased considerably in both size and importance over the past 40 years. This increase has made Egypt one of the top remittance recipients in the world and the leading recipient country in the Middle East. As migrant remittances are one of Egypt's main sources of foreign capital, this study aims to identify the impact of these remittances on economic growth.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collects annual data on migrant remittances sent to Egypt during the period 1980–2017. The study uses the Augmented Dickey–Fuller test and Johnsen's Co-integration test to establish long-run relationships between variables. Then, a vector error correction model (VECM) is used to combine long-run and short-run dynamics, and a Granger causality test is performed. Finally, diagnostic tests of the VECM are conducted.
Findings
Results reveal that migrants’ remittances to Egypt are countercyclical in the sense that they have a long-term negative impact on economic growth. These results are determined by the Granger causality between migrants' remittances, inflation rate and imports.
Practical implications
The study can help policymakers to develop appropriate policies to turn migrants' remittances into a reliable source of capital that could result in a stable economic growth.
Originality/value
Although various empirical studies have examined the growth effect of remittances, most of them are based on cross-country data. This study contributes to the field by attempting to close a gap in the literature by empirically analyzing the impact of remittances on a single country over a long period.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to examine the migrant dilemma about operating extensively in migrant enclaves vs integration in host communities.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the migrant dilemma about operating extensively in migrant enclaves vs integration in host communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a critical literature review contrasting views and perspectives of the role of migrant enclaves in migrant integration and contribution in new societies. Research in the area of ethnic enclaves has been polarised: on the one hand, the optimists argue the critical benefits of migrant and ethnic community networks, thus downplaying potential drawbacks of such networks and the disadvantage externally imposed on migrants; on the other hand, the pessimists overemphasise the disadvantages of ethnic enclaves, portraying them as ghettos of alienation.
Findings
Based on the social solidarity integration model and immigrant-host and social interaction theory, the paper posits that migrant community networks could intentionally or unintentionally engender cultural alienation, worsening an already precarious educational, cultural and economic exclusion. Thus, migrants could remain in lower societal roles and experience limited upward social mobility if they operate exclusively within migrant and ethnic networks. However, ethnic enclaves, at the same time, offer the initial psychological nurturing on which future successful socialisation work with migrant communities can be built.
Research limitations/implications
From a research angle, the theorisation of migrant enclave requires a new approach, which identifies dynamism and contextualisation as central to the debate.
Practical implications
From a policy perspective, the research suggests the rethinking of the role of community support systems (and the wider enclave debate). The organisational implications the research suggests a shift of the organisational paradigm in the way migrant organisations manage themselves and support members in the enclave.
Originality/value
This paper’s contribution is to take a duality approach to studying the ethnic enclave and posits that this will engender effective social policy that helps reduce economic inequality.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to consider the use of rumour by Bangladeshi migrant entrepreneurs in Naples, Italy to comment on informal economic practices and migrant moral hierarchies present…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to consider the use of rumour by Bangladeshi migrant entrepreneurs in Naples, Italy to comment on informal economic practices and migrant moral hierarchies present in that city.
Design/methodology/approach
It is based on ethnographic fieldwork among migrants conducted by the author in the Naples region in 2004 and 2005. Rumour has been interpreted by some scholars as a way to promote community cohesion and by others to promote the self‐interest of those circulating it.
Findings
In this paper, rumour is seen as a communicative device that offers information or news for evaluation and is a central means of distributing information in all economies. Here, migrants use the information circulating in rumours to interpret their migratory chances in Italy in general and, more specifically, entrepreneurial conditions available to those engaged in informal economic activities in the Neapolitan economy. These rumours travel beyond a circumscribed racialised group to have purchase in wider social fields. In this case, as subjective representations of economic behaviour, these rumours offer models for entrepreneurial activities to be admired, mimicked, condemned, or avoided.
Originality/value
This ethnographic material suggests that greater attention should be paid to how subjective understandings spur social action as reflected here through the use of rumours as a kind of knowledge to be assessed and interpreted to form the basis of decisions about economic behaviour among Bangladeshi migrants in Naples.
Details
Keywords
The rapid urbanization of China brings in large number of migrant workers coming from rural areas. With the perspective of social integration, this study reviews the findings…
Abstract
Purpose
The rapid urbanization of China brings in large number of migrant workers coming from rural areas. With the perspective of social integration, this study reviews the findings about economic livelihood, social integration and health related to migrant workers since China initiated economic reform. We show that (1) though the economic wellbeing of migrant workers has been improved significantly after they moved to cities, their economic standing is still lower than local residents; (2) though there is progress of social integration between migrant workers and local residents, conflicts and challenges due to the competitions in employment and the sharing of community resource are still commonly found; (3) the disadvantaged status of health is very common among migrant workers and (4) women and the new generation in migration have more disadvantages in the social transition. We suggest that issues of equal rights between migrant workers and local residents should be discussed in the future as more migrant workers intend to stay in cities for long-term.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology is literature reviews based on the current studies about migrant, migration and policy. The first category of literature is the research field on China's migration and urbanization to describe the whole context of migrant workers. The second is research field on detailed issues about migrant workers and the last field is policy issues about the welfare and needs among migrant workers.
Findings
We find that (1) though the economic wellbeing of migrant workers has been improved significantly after they moved to cities, their economic standing is still lower than local residents; (2) though there are progress of social integration between migrant workers and local residents, conflicts and challenges due to the competitions in employment and the sharing of community resource are still commonly found; (3) the disadvantaged status of health is very common among migrant workers and (4) women and the new generation in migration face more disadvantages in the social transition.
Research limitations/implications
There are some limitations in the current research: (1) the review focuses on the majority of migrant workers to reveal the general picture about the living, developing and rights among migrant workers, but is still lacking in dealing with some special and disadvantaged groups. (2) More international issues related to migrant workers should be discussed in the future considering that China's labor market is becoming more and more global.
Social implications
First, the conclusion about the economic and social integration among migrant workers indicates that more equal welfare services, including resident services, commence services, medical services etc. should be included in the municipal managements considering that Chinese cities will be the combination of local residents and migrant residents. Second, the conclusion about the women and children indicates that the future public services targeted at the disadvantaged population should focus on migrant members due to the second generation of migrant workers will be one of the mainstream population in future China's cities.
Originality/value
This study gives general views on migrant workers in current China. The findings in this review conclude the main development and improvements among tens of millions of migrant workers in Chinese cities. Meanwhile, we also conclude that there are still many disadvantaged and marginalized sub-groups in migration who are suffering from less welfares and rights in urban lives. More detailed and equal rights and public services should be considered and implemented in the fast urbanization taking place.
Details
Keywords
Amelie F. Constant, Annabelle Krause, Ulf Rinne and Klaus F. Zimmermann
The aim of this paper is to study the economic effects of risk attitudes, time preferences, trust and reciprocity and to compare natives and second generation migrants.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to study the economic effects of risk attitudes, time preferences, trust and reciprocity and to compare natives and second generation migrants.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the IZA Evaluation Dataset, a recently collected survey of a representative inflow sample into unemployment in Germany. The data include a large number of migrant‐specific variables as well as information about economic preferences and attitudes. This allows an assessment of whether and how unemployed second generation migrants differ from unemployed natives in terms of economic preferences and attitudes.
Findings
Differences are found between the two groups mainly in terms of risk attitudes and positive reciprocity. Second generation migrants have a significantly higher willingness to take risks and they are less likely to have a low amount of positive reciprocity when compared to natives. It was also found that these differences matter in terms of economic outcomes, and more specifically in terms of the employment probability about two months after unemployment entry.
Research limitations/implications
The findings offer interesting perspectives, e.g. with regard to the design and targeting of active labor market policy. It may be reasonable to specifically focus on less risk averse individuals with measures such as job search requirements and monitoring.
Originality/value
This paper provides novel and direct evidence on the relationship between economic preferences, attitudes and labor market reintegration of natives and second generation migrants.
Details
Keywords
The economic literature on labor migration has incorporated insights from various disciplines with regard to content and method, although the representation of migrants has not…
Abstract
The economic literature on labor migration has incorporated insights from various disciplines with regard to content and method, although the representation of migrants has not fully moved away from the neoliberal, market-dominated framework. This paper addresses the issue of women migrant workers using the particular example of Sri Lankan migrant women workers to the Middle East. It aims to highlight the need for more diversity in economic research without which conceptual representation, as well as empirical reach, is limited.
After a brief overview of the representation of migrants in economic literature, I develop the concept of vulnerability. I refer to qualitative and quantitative analyses on Sri Lankan migrant women workers to the Middle East from a variety of disciplines in order to differentiate the “vulnerable,” that is, the workers in need of protection, from the “vulnerabilities.” The latter concept refers to the debilitating effects on workers, produced by market forces, which are often perpetuated by underlying assumptions, as well as policies. A broader, inter-disciplinary perspective, which considers the agency of women, can go a long way toward removing some of the limitations and preconceptions ingrained in most economic representation. This in turn could help to improve the protection of the vulnerable and empower them to better face market forces.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to examine the macroeconomic impact of migrant workers’ remittances on economic growth in four developing Asian countries namely: Bangladesh, India…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the macroeconomic impact of migrant workers’ remittances on economic growth in four developing Asian countries namely: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilizes annual time series data over the period 1976-2012 and the ordinary least squares as an analytical technique for parameters estimation.
Findings
Empirical results support the existence of a significant positive relationship between migrant workers remittances and economic growth. The other control variables such as foreign direct investment, openness to trade and infrastructure are also found to be statistically significant with expected signs.
Practical implications
The findings of this study are expected to guide policy makers in formulating the right and relevant policies through which migrant workers’ remittances can be made more productive and its benefits for both migrants and the country of origin are maximized. Consequently, it will foster economic growth and development.
Originality/value
This paper provides some valuable evidences on the significance of migrant workers remittances as a source of economic growth. Moreover, the study differs from the erstwhile studies in terms of control variables, time period and method of estimation. Finally, the empirical results established are relatively robust.
Details
Keywords
Jennifer Onyekachi Igwe, Anulika Nwajiuba and Paul Agu Igwe