Male Migration and Female Labor Force Participation: New Evidence from the Mexican Family Life Survey

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of male migration to the U.S. on female labor market outcomes in Mexico. To understand intrahoushold bargaining and labor reallocation, I restrict my attention to wives left behind by male migrants. This paper differentiates among domestic migration, cross-border migration, and other types of absence, accounting for their differential effects. The nonmigration absence of the husband tends to increase female labor supply in almost all types of income-generating activities. In contrast, women from migrant-sending families are more likely to participate in unpaid work, but less likely to participate in paid work. Similar findings hold for work hours. The overrepresentation of females in unpaid work associated with male migration may threaten the economic wellbeing of women if it leads to weaker labor market attachment and less bargaining power within the family.

Keywords: migration, gender, labor force participation, labor supply

JEL Classification: J16, J22, J61