No country for young men: International migration and left-behind children in Tajikistan

This paper investigates the effects of international migration on the schooling and labour outcomes of left-behind children in rural Tajikistan. Using three-wave panel survey data, I rely on an instrumental variable strategy to address the non-random selection into migration. I identify important and gender-differenced schooling and labour supply responses. My findings suggest that boys living in migrant households are less likely to lag behind at school or work. At the intensive margin, they also report fewer hours of work per week. On the other hand, left-behind teenage females undertake a higher number of domestic chores. They appear to marry earlier as well. The migration impact on boys appears to be driven by remittances and the improved financial situation of households. The absence of any positive influence on the education of left-behind girls is likely to be explained by Tajikistan's cultural norms and institutions.