Essays in labor and human capital investment in development economics

Kamei, Akito

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Description

Title

Essays in labor and human capital investment in development economics

Author(s)

Kamei, Akito

Issue Date

2021-05-17

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Arends-Kuennings, Mary

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Arends-Kuennings, Mary

Committee Member(s)

• Thornton, Rebecca
• Baylis, Kathy
• Michaelson, Hope

Department of Study

Agr & Consumer Economics

Discipline

Agricultural & Applied Econ

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Human Capital Investment, Labor, Development Economics

Abstract

This dissertation presents three essays on labor and development economics. Each chapter examines a factor that affects household labor demand and supply for each household member and its implications in low-and middle- income countries. Research in this dissertation takes advantage of detailed household surveys and other sources such as satellite collected environmental data. This data is then used to conduct empirical analysis of intra-household allocation of time and resources. In Chapter 1, I apply an economic lens to examine how water scarcity affects household water consumption and the (time) cost to obtain water. Using a longitudinal data set together with the exogeneity of weather shocks as identification strategies, I estimated the impact of drought on household water consumption and the cost of obtaining water, including time spent fetching water in Uganda. In Chapter 2, I assess the labor supply and welfare impacts of a Bolivian policy change in 2014 that lowered the minimum working age. Finally, in Chapter 3, I examine the household characteristics particularly associated with children working in hazardous environments in Nepal.

Graduation Semester

2021-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Copyright 2021 Akito Kamei

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