Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP5559
Authors: Natalie Chen; Paola Conconi; Carlo Perroni
Abstract: Differences in gender-based labour market discrimination across countries imply that migration may affect husbands and wives differently. If migrant wives experience a relative improvement in their labour market position, bargaining theory suggests that they should experience comparatively larger gains. However, if renegotiation possibilities are limited by institutional mechanisms that achieve long-term commitment, the opposite may be true, particularly if women are specialized in household activities and the labour market allows more flexibility in their labour supply choices. Evidence from the German Socio-Economic Panel indeed shows that, as long as renegotiation opportunities are limited, comparatively better wages for migrant women lead them to bear the double burden of market and household work.
Keywords: gender discrimination; international migration; renegotiation
JEL Codes: D1; F2
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| migration (F22) | labor market opportunities for women (J21) |
| labor market opportunities for women (J21) | bargaining power within households (D10) |
| limited renegotiation opportunities (L14) | adverse outcomes for women (J16) |
| relative wage increase for migrant women (J79) | increased market effort (L19) |
| increased market effort (L19) | decreased satisfaction (J28) |
| traditional gender roles (J16) | exacerbation of negative effects (E71) |
| migration (F22) | comparative wage increase for migrant women (J82) |
| comparative wage increase for migrant women (J82) | greater market effort (L19) |
| greater market effort (L19) | little relief from household responsibilities (D13) |
| relative wages (J31) | household responsibilities (D13) |