Essays on Non-Cognitive Skills, Child Labor and Working Conditions

Date of Graduation

8-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Economics

Advisor/Mentor

Arya Gaduh

Committee Member

Gema Zamarro

Second Committee Member

Jingping Gu

Keywords

Applied Econometrics, Colombia, Development Economics, Indonesia, Labor Economics, Non-cognitive Skills

Abstract

This dissertation uses two institutional datasets for two developing countries and examines several dimensions of economic development. Chapter 1 and 2 use an IV approach to identify the impact of international remittances on the welfare of individuals left behind in Colombia. In Chapter 1, I provide evidence that remittances reduce child labor participation, and the amount of hours worked, a margin ignored by the literature so far. In addition, Chapter 2 explores the impact that this remittance income has over the working conditions for informal workers, a type of job characterized by long working hours and lack of social benefits. I provide evidence that remittances not only reduce the amount of hours worked but also increase the likelihood of having health insurance for individuals with informal jobs. Chapter 3 uses a difference-in-difference approach to analyze the effect of parental shocks on skill formation. Using data for Indonesia, I provide evidence that parental shocks in childhood affect the level of conscientiousness and neuroticism in adulthood, two personality traits related with socio-economic success.

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