Labour supply responses of left-behind members in migrant households: A gender-based analysis in Ethiopia
This study examines how labour migration in Ethiopia affects the livelihoods and labour participation of household members left behind, with a focus on gender dynamics. It finds that while remittances can improve welfare, migration reshapes work roles and shifts households modestly towards casual and salaried employment, with uneven burdens across members.
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Elias-Feyisa-Abdisa-Policy-Brief-March-2026.pdf
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- Migration is driven as much by local networks as by household need.
- Left-behind households shift modestly toward casual and salaried work.
- Migration reshapes labour roles within households in strongly gendered ways.
- Remittances can improve welfare, but the burdens of migration are unevenly shared.
Labour migration is a long-standing livelihood strategy in Ethiopia, driven by limited rural employment opportunities, land fragmentation, and expanding migration networks. While migration can provide critical income through remittances, it also reshapes labour allocation, gender roles, and welfare among household members who remain behind. Understanding these dynamics is essential for designing employment, social protection, and gender-responsive policies. The study examines the heterogeneous effects of labour out-migration on the labour market participation of left-behind household members in Ethiopia, explicitly accounting for the differential effects of migration on the gender of household members left behind.