Unanticipated events, perceptions, and household labor allocation in Zimbabwe

Anna Josephson and Gerald E. Shively

World Development, 2021, vol. 141, issue C

Abstract: This paper investigates labor allocation as a strategy for coping with unanticipated events. We evaluate household responses to unforeseen death and rainfall shocks in Zimbabwe, during a period in which many households were already stressed due to the country’s long-term economic crisis. In this context, shocks compound existing stresses. Different types of shocks disparately affect household labor allocation. Household perceptions about the shocks experienced also shift labor use. Perceived rainfall shocks positively affect the share of labor allocated to migration-related activities and negatively affect the share of labor allocated to non-participation.

Keywords: Labor allocation; Hyperinflation; Migration; Idiosyncratic and covariate shocks; Africa; Zimbabwe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J01 J43 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:141:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x20305052

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105377

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