Asymmetric Information and Remittances: Evidence from Matched Administrative Data

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Joseph, Thomas; Nyarko, Yaw; Wang, Shing-Yi
• 署名单位: Indian Institute of Management (IIM System); Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (IIMU); New York University; New York University; New York University Abu Dhabi; University of Pennsylvania
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.20160150
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 58-100
• 关键词: labor-market conditions; Transnational households; income seasonality; decision-making; consumption; migration; MIGRANTS; thailand; weather; savings

摘要

Using new large-scale, administrative data matching remittances and monthly payroll disbursals, we demonstrate how migrants' earnings in the United Arab Emirates affect their remittances. We consider several types of income changes: Ramadan, weather shocks, a labor reform and returns to time in the UAE. We demonstrate that two key characteristics of the income changes that affect the income elasticity of remittances are the observability of the income and whether the income change is positive or negative. The results are consistent with a private information model where remittances are viewed as payments in an income-sharing contract.