Labor Complementarities and Health in the Agricultural Household

Achyuta Adhvaryu () and Anant Nyshadham
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Achyuta Adhvaryu: MEPH Health Policy and Administration, Yale University

Working Papers from Economic Growth Center, Yale University

Abstract: Models of the agricultural household have traditionally relied on assumptions regarding the complementarity or substitutability of family labor inputs. We show how data on time allocations, health shocks and corresponding treatment choices can be used to test these assumptions. Data from Tanzania provide evidence that complementarities exist and can explain the pattern of labor supply adjustments across household members and productive activities following acute sickness. In particular, we find that sick and healthy household members both shift labor away from self-employment and into farming when the sick recover more quickly. Infra-marginal adjustments within farming activity types provide further evidence of farm-specific complementarities.

Keywords: intra-household allocation; health shocks; complementarity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 J22 J43 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 57 pages
Date: 2011-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev, nep-hea and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Working Paper: Labor Complementarities and Health in the Agricultural Household (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:egc:wpaper:996

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