Worker Mobility in a Global Labor Market: Evidence from the United Arab Emirates / Suresh Naidu, Yaw Nyarko, Shing-Yi Wang.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Naidu, Suresh.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Nyarko, Yaw.

Wang, Shing-Yi.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w20388.

NBER working paper series no. w20388

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Worker Mobility in a Global Labor Market

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2014.

Summary:

In 2011, a reform in the United Arab Emirates allowed any employer to renew a migrant's visa upon contract expiration without written permission from the initial employer. We find that the reform increased incumbent migrants' earnings and firm retention of these workers. This occurs despite an increase in employer transitions, and is driven by a fall in country exits. While the outcomes of workers already in the United Arab Emirates improved, our analysis suggests that the reform decreased demand for new migrant workers and lowered their earnings. These results are consistent with a model in which the reform reduces the monopsony power of firms.

Notes:

Print version record

August 2014.