JOURNAL OF POPULATION ECONOMICS

Germany (Heidelberg) 89

1998 - VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2

99.89.1 - English - Heather JOSHI, Social Statistics Research Unit, City University, Northampton Square, London EC1V OHB (U.K.)

E-mail: hj@ssru.city.ac.uk

The opportunity costs of childbearing: More than mothers' business (p. 161-183)

This paper is an argument about gender relations. It takes the entwined themes of men's interests in parenthood, the sex division of labour and its evolution, policy for gender equity and policy to support the level of social reproduction. The emphasis on women's employment as a determinant of low fertility has to be supplemented by an examination of the assumption that only women's time use is affected by child-rearing. Many forces tend to concentrate fathers' involvement on breadwinning, but they are not immutable and are already changing. It should be in interests of promoting social reproduction, as well as gender equity, for policy interventions to facilitate complementarities in parenting and in its combination with paid work. Descriptive evidence about paid and unpaid work of couples and parents is presented, largely secondary material from the UK. (ENGLAND, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS, SEX ROLES, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, SEXUAL DIVISION OF LABOUR, GOVERNMENT POLICY)

99.89.2 - English - Michael LUNDHOLM, Department of Economics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden), and Henry OHLSSON, Department of Economics, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 513, SE-751 20 Uppsala (Sweden)

E-mail: mlu@ne.su.se ; henry.ohlsson@nek.uu.se

Wages, taxes and publicly provided day care (p. 185-204)

Public employment growth has been parallelled by increased female labour force participation, while real wages for typical female public sector occupations have not increased. In a theoretical model we, first, show that there is a tradeoff between day care provision and gross wages for occupations for which day care is complement. It is possible to combine increased public labour demand with public day care povision leaving the the wage unaffected. Second, non-parents will be in favour of increasing day care as long as day care productivity is higher than the inverse of the tax rate. This is because the effective labour supply and, therefore, the tax base increase. Third, parents want to push day care provision even further. They are prepared to accept a lower day care producivity than non-parents because day care provision relaxes the constraint on their desired labour supply. The Pareto efficient day care provision is between parents' and non parents' prefererd levels. (ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHY, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, DAY CARE CENTRES, WAGE LEVEL, TAXES, PUBLIC SECTOR)

99.89.3 - English - Scott BOGGESS, Department of Demography, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-1043 (U.S.A.)

Family structure, economic status, and educational attainment (p. 205-222)

This study examines the effect of family structure on high school graduation by race and gender using data from the first twenty-one waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and recently available retrospective marital histories. The nature of data allows you for a more complete specification of family structure than has been heretofore possible. The analysis tests the hypothesis that the negative effect on educational attainment often associated with living in a mother-only or stepfather family stems primarily from the reduced level of economic resources available to these households. Empirical findings indicate that living with a widowed, divorced, or seperated mother has little or no effect on educational attainment once we control for economic status. However, living in a stepfather family appears to have a persistent negative effect on high school graduation rates. (UNITED STATES, SCHOOL SUCCESS, FAMILY COMPOSITION, HOUSEHOLD INCOME)

99.89.4 - English - Guy LACROIX, Département d'Economie, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec, G1K 7P4 (Canada), Michel PICOT and Catherine SOFER, CRESEP, Université d'Orléans, Orléans (France)

The extent of labour specialization in the extended family: A theoretical and empirical analysis (p. 223-237)

In this paper we present a simple model of labour supply that is cast within the framework of an extended family. The model emphasizes a Ricardian division of labour whereby the specialization is solely driven by marginal productivity and value of time differentials. The empirical implications of the model are derived and tested using data that was collected in France to study the extent of specilization is a sensitive to the value of time differentials. (FRANCE, EXTENDED FAMILY, DIVISION OF LABOUR)

99.89.5 - English - T. Paul SCHULTZ, Yale University, Box 208269, New Haven, CT 06520-8269 (U.S.A.)

E-mail: paul.schultz@yale.edu

Immigrant quality and assimilation: A review of the US literature (p. 239-252)

Empirical research on US immigrants is reviewed: their productivity and assimilation; their contribution and use of public services; and their impact on the native Americans. I discuss the characteristics of cohorts of immigrants that enter the United States at different times, and than quantify the assimilation of immigrants, typically in terms of economic productivity of immigrants compared with natives. Few have found quantifiable negative effects of immigrants on native wages or unemployment in local labor markets, but a more general equilibrium approach than has been empirically implemented may be needed to draw any conclusions regarding the distributional consequences of immigration. (UNITED STATES, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, IMMIGRATION, PRODUCTIVITY, WAGES)

99.89.6 - English - Barry R. CHISWICK, Department of Economics (M/C 144), University of Illinois at Chicago, 601 S. Morgan Street (Rm 2103 UH), Chicago, IL 60607-7121 (U.S.A.)

E-mail: brchis@uic.edu

Hebrew language usage: Determinants and effects on earnings among immigrants in Israel (p. 253-271)

This paper uses the 1983 Census of Israel to analyze Hebrew speaking skills and the effects of Hebrew fluency on earnings of adult male immigrants. Hebrew fluency increases with a longer duration in Israel, the presence of children in the household, marrying after immigration, living in an area in which a smaller proportion speak one's mother tongue, a younger age at migration, a higher level of schooling and varies by country of birth. Earnings increase monotonically with the use of Hebrew. Speaking English as a second language is associated with higher earnings, even when country of origin is held constant. (ISRAEL, IMMIGRANTS, MOTHER TONGUE, NATURAL LANGUAGE, INCOME)

99.89.7 - English - John T. DURKIN Jr., Department of Economics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202 (U.S.A.)

E-mail: sdurkin@econ.wayne.edu

Immigration, assimilation and growth (p. 273-291)

The paper analyzes the welfare effects of immigration and its subsequent effect on ethnic diversity in a model featuring human capital spillovers which depend on the degree of ethnic heterogeneity, variation rates of time preference across individuals and endogenous levels of immigration and assimilation. In the model, an increase in ethnic diversity reduces the spillovers effect for the majority. Nonetheless, immigration can be welfare improving for the majority ethnic group even if it increases the degree of diversity as long as it raises the average human capital level and/or growth rate by increasing the proportion of people with low rates of time preference. However, if an economy is too homogenous, it will not be able to attract immigrants. Finally, if the level of immigration is not too high, then immigration also raises the net benefits to assimilation which leads to a more homogenous economy. (IMMIGRATION, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHY, SOCIAL SECURITY, ETHNIC COMPOSITION)

99.89.8 - English - John E. HAYFRON, Department of Economics, University of Bergen, Fosswinckelsgt. 6, N-5007 Bergen (Norway)

E-mail: john.hayfron@econ.uib.no

The performance of immigrants in the Norwegian labor market (p. 293-303)

This paper tests the assimilation hypothesis with Norwegian data. Using both cross-section and cohort analyses, the results show that the 1970-1979 immigrant cohort experienced an earnings growth of about 11% between 1980 and 1990, when their earnings profile was compared to that of natives. This is lower than the 19% assimilation rate predicted by the cross-section method. On the contrary, the results reveal a rapid earnings divergence across, cohorts and between the 1960-1969 cohort and natives. It is also shown that the "quality" of successive immigrant waves has declined over time, thus biasing the cross-section estimates of assimilation. (NORWAY, MIGRANT ASSIMILATION, INCOME, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS)

1998 - VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3

99.89.9 - English - Øystein THØGERSEN, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Institute of Economics, Helleveien 30, N-5035 Bergen-Sandviken (Norway)

E-mail: oystein.thogersen@snf.no

A note on intergenerational risk sharing and the design of pay-as-you-go pension programs (p. 373-378)

Different versions of pay-as-you-go public pension programs may have entirely different effects on the intergenerational distribution of income risk. If the pension benefit is a fixed proportion of previous labor income, a pay-as-you-go program increases the net income risk of all generations. On the other hand, a pay-as-you-go program characterized by a fixed labor income tax rate and uncertain pension benefits provides intergenerational risk sharing. (RETIREMENT PENSIONS, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, GENERATIONS, ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHY)

99.89.10 - English - Boris A. PORTNOV, The Center for Desert Architecture and Urban Planning, J. Blaustein Insitute for the Desert Research, The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boker Campus 84990 (Israel)

E-mail: portnov@bgumail.bgu.ac.il

The effect of housing on migrations in Israel: 1988-1994 (p. 379-394)

The analysis of 1988-1994 statistical data indicates that the population of Israel simultaneously moves in two opposite directions: while the initial distribution of new immigrants is primarily focused on the areas where jobs are available, the existing population of these areas tends to move outward, to the less populated districts where housing is more available and affordable. The paper thus argues that the heterogeneity of the population is indeed a crucial consideration for the proper modeling of migration behavior. It is also argued that a) the effect of housing construction on the patterns of in-country migration appears to be attenuated, and b) the low attractiveness of peripheral districts of the country to the new immigrants is mainly caused by a lack of jobs rather than by low rates of housing construction or the harsh climatic conditions of these areas. (ISRAEL, INTERNAL MIGRATION, HOUSING, JOB SUPPLY)

99.89.11 - English - Richard P.C. BROWN, Department of Economics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072 (Australia)

E-mail: brown@commerce.uq.edu.au

Comparative labor market performance of visaed and non-visaed migrants: Pacific islanders in Sydney (p. 395-411)

Using survey data for Tongan and Samoan migrants in Sydney the effects of visa restrictions on labor market performance of migrants are assessed. Univariate analysis suggests a positive association between unemployment and the unrestricted entry of Samoan step-migrants from New Zealand. A probit model of the determinants of unemployment is estimated with controls for human capital and demographic variables. While human capital endowments are important, visa restrictions do not have a significant effect on either group's employability. Implications for policy are discussed highlighting the complementarities between host country immigration policies and foreign aid programs. (AUSTRALIA, TONGA, SAMOA, IMMIGRANTS, IMMIGRATION POLICY, UNEMPLOYMENT)

99.89.12 - English - Roy E. BAILEY and Marcus J. CHAMBERS, Department of Economics, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ (U.K.)

E-mail: rbailey@essex.ac.uk ; mchamb@essex.ac.uk

The impact of real wage and mortality fluctuations on fertility and nuptiality in precensus England (p. 413-434)

This paper explores the responses of fertility and nuptiality to fluctuations in real wages and mortality that can be inferred from annual series of English historical data over the period 1542 to 1800. The paper begins with a review of the time series properties of the data and summarizes the long-term equilibrium relationships identified in previous work. A Vector Error Correction Mechanism (VECM) is then proposed to study the observed short-term fluctuations in a way that is compatible with long-term equilibria. Following estimation of the parameters of the VECM, an investigation is made of the impact of shocks to real wages and mortality on demographic variables as measured by generalized impulse responses and persistence profiles. (ENGLAND, HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS, NUPTIALITY, MORTALITY TRENDS, WAGES)

99.89.13 - English - Sulayman AL-QUDSI, Development Division, California Energy Commission, 3020 Mendel Way, Sacramento, CA 95833 (U.S.A.)

The demand for children in Arab countries: Evidence from panel and count data models (p. 435-452)

This paper provides empirical evidence on fertility determinants in Arab countries. Adopting a macro and micro framework and exploiting panel and count data models the paper estimates the impact of cultural and economic factors on the demand for children. The results obtained strongly support the hypothesis that cross-country heterogeneity buttresses differentiated fertility and that female education mitigates high fertility. Child mortality and parent's preferences for sons positively affect fertility. By and large, demand for children is price and income inelastic. (ARAB COUNTRIES, FERTILITY DETERMINANTS, FERTILITY TRENDS, DESIRED FAMILY SIZE, ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHY)

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