The persistence and widening of the rural-urban earning gap represents a continuing empirical puzzle. Using county-level data, we estimate a fixed-effects empirical model of earnings response that differentiates the impacts of schooling, unemployment shocks and macroeconomic forces on per capita...

We estimate a model of net migration between Regional Councils for three age cohorts to test whether or not there are significant Maori/non-Maori differences. We find little evidence of a statistically significant link between worker mobility and labor market conditions. Only in the case of the...

A county-level labor market model is estimated for the thirteen Southern states. The model accounts for inter-county commuting, migration, and within-county adjustments to labor demand shocks. Econometric results indicate that most employment growth (60-70%) during the 1990s was accommodated by...

We estimate a local labor market model for North Carolina. The model accounts for inter-county commuting - in addition to within-county labor market adjustments - when a labor demand shock occurs. Econometric results indicate that migration accounted for no more than 20 to 30 percent of county...

We investigate a rural household's decision to migrate part or all of its labor to urban areas. Labor migrates only when the expected return passes a hurdle rate that is affected by migration networks. We develop a dynamic model of incomplete information, and characterize the unique pure...

The relationship between rural labor productivity and food diversity was analyzed from the household consumption survey data of Pakistan. The elasticity of wage to diversity (0.77) was higher than to food expenditure (0.13). Lowering the prices of meats and fruits and vegetables will have the...

This study evaluates the possible reasons for the persistent rural-urban wage gap among women in the U.S. The paper uses two-step panel data estimations that can consider explanations including rural-urban differences in observed individual characteristics and work-related characteristics and at...

This session focuses on applications of various migration, family labor and labor market models in international settings. Papers include: Rural Labor Mobility in China: Net Flows and Trends, Bryan Lohmar and Scott Rozelle, University of California-Davis; Changbao Zhao, Research Center for Rural...

Production contract tournaments induce self-selection among producers. Self-selection for pork differs from broiler production resulting in a predictably different political response by incumbent producers to contract innovation. The higher capital and status of incumbent pork producers than...

Thailand's economic boom since 1987 resulted in absolute agricultural employment and land use declines. Both were caused by rapid wage growth due to nonagricultural investment. Irreversible land use changes and rapid agricultural mechanization have followed. Following the 1987 financial crisis,...