Migration and unemployment in South Africa: When motivation surpasses the theory

Type Conference Paper - Growth, poverty reduction and human development in Africa, 21st to 22nd March, 2004, St Catherine’s College, Oxford.
Title Migration and unemployment in South Africa: When motivation surpasses the theory
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2004
City Oxford
Country/State United Kingdom
URL http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/conferences/2004-GPRaHDiA/papers/5f-Cornwell-CSAE-2004.pdf
Abstract
This paper looks at the connection between internal migration and unemployment in South Africa. We examine whether rural-urban migrants are more likely to be unemployed, in informal sector employment or underemployed than non-migrants. We build on standard economic theory to predict that rates of unemployment and of participation in the informal sector ought to be much higher for migrants than for non-migrants. The empirical evidence we present, based on the 1993 and 1994 October Household Surveys, provides only some support for this theory. Results suggest that compared to job seeking non-migrants, recent migrants do well at finding formal employment, and are much less likely to be unemployed.

Related studies

»
»