This thesis examines the labor force participation decisions of married couples, and special attention is paid to a spouse’s health conditions affecting their own and the spouse’s labor force participation decision. I used the Health and Retirement Study survey data and estimated a seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model. A number of variables besides health condition were added: age, education level, and family unearned income. The results of this research paper support the findings from the relevant literature that the labor supply decisions of the husband and wife are related. The oldest age group is least likely to work. The younger the husband, the more likely it is that the husband will work. At the ages between 40 and 49, wives have the biggest probability to work. The higher the education level, the more likely it is that a spouse is going to work. The more total family unearned income, the less probable the spouse will go to work. Poor health has a negative effect on labor force participation and a positive effect for the spouse’s labor force participation.

This thesis examines the labor force participation decisions of married couples, and special attention is paid to a spouse’s health conditions affecting their own and the spouse’s labor force participation decision. I used the Health and Retirement Study survey data and estimated a seemingly unrelated bivariate probit model. A number of variables besides health condition were added: age, education level, and family unearned income. The results of this research paper support the findings from the relevant literature that the labor supply decisions of the husband and wife are related. The oldest age group is least likely to work. The younger the husband, the more likely it is that the husband will work. At the ages between 40 and 49, wives have the biggest probability to work. The higher the education level, the more likely it is that a spouse is going to work. The more total family unearned income, the less probable the spouse will go to work. Poor health has a negative effect on labor force participation and a positive effect for the spouse’s labor force participation.

Obesity is a growing public health concern that is being confronted by both developed and developing countries. South Africa is no exception, facing the highest burden of obesity amongst African countries. Using two waves of data from the National Income Dynamics Study, this study aims to investigate the relationship between obesity and employment status for working age individuals in the context of the South African labour market. This study contributes to existing literature on this subject by explicitly accounting for potential simultaneity and endogeneity between obesity and employment. Given the hypothesised two-way causal relationship between obesity and unemployment, two different models are used to assess whether this issue exists for the dataset; a bivariate probit model to assess if there is a bivariate relationship between obesity and employment, and a recursive bivariate probit model to assess if obesity is an endogenous regressor of employment. A change in state univariate probit model is then implemented across the two waves to better understand if fluctuations in weight status are a result of labour market state transitions. The results of the study show that obesity and employment are independent in the bivariate probit models and obesity is an exogenous regressor of employment status in the recursive bivariate probit models. Changes in labour market state do not have a significant impact on the probability of transitioning to obese compared to no changes in labour market state, bar transitioning from not economically active to employed, which increases the probability of becoming obese. The findings suggest that, in the South African labour market context, obesity and employment are not related, indicating that there are other underlying factors, such as nutritional intake and genetic composition, that may contribute to fluctuations in weight status. The results suggest that obesity is prolific in South Africa, and impacts individuals across the entire distribution for labour market status and income.

With evidence of increasing hurricane risks in Georgia Coastal Area (GCA) and Virginia in the U.S. Southeast and elsewhere, understanding intended evacuation behavior is becoming more and more important for community planners. My research investigates intended evacuation behavior due to hurricane risks, a behavioral survey of the six counties in GCA under the direction of two social scientists with extensive experience in survey research related to citizen and household response to emergencies and disasters. Respondents gave answers whether they would evacuate under both voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders. Bivariate probit models are used to investigate the subjective belief structure of whether or not the respondents are concerned about the hurricane, and the intended probability of evacuating as a function of risk perception, and a lot of demographic and socioeconomic variables (e.g., gender, military, age, length of residence, owning vehicles).

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近年來台灣面臨了人口高齡化的現象，有關中高齡人口的議題成為了學者與社會大眾關注的焦點，其中，自1988以來中高齡已婚男性勞動參與率至2008年為止已下降了約十個百分點，這個現象值得我們去深入了解。本篇論文主要在探討中高齡已婚男性勞動參與的決定因素，研究的資料來源為1988至2008年的人力資源及人力運用調查。其中，我選擇了55至64歲的已婚男性為對象，而總樣本數為51,730，本論文先以probit與bivariate probit模型估計每一個變數對中高齡已婚男性勞動決策的邊際影響效果，再以Oaxaca與DiNardo, Fortin, and Lemieux (DFL)分解模式，試著拆解每一個變數對整體中高齡已婚男性勞動參與率的影響性。 此篇論文著重在兩個主要變數對中高齡已婚男性勞動參與的影響:妻子的勞動參與以及地區性的失業率。近年來越來越多已婚婦女投入職場，我想了解婦女勞動參與率的上升，對整體丈夫勞動參與率的影響；另外地區的失業率是表現出地區勞動市場的重要指標之一，過去的文獻提到失業嚴重的地區可能使當地勞工失業後找不到工作，或使想進入職場的勞工卻步。此篇論文研究結果顯示妻子的勞動參與會顯著的影響先生對勞動市場去留的決定，妻子影響個人的勞動參與機率6~18%左右，而1%地區性失業率的上升，則是對個人的勞動參與機率下降的影響約1.5%左右。在1988年至2008年整體中高齡已婚男性勞動參與率的分解中，勞動參與率下降了3.5%（占整體變化40%），可歸咎於地區失業率的升高。而若妻子的勞動參與沒有提升，仍維持1988年的水準，整體丈夫的勞動參與率將會下降1%（占整體變化10%）左右，本論文認為若政府能維持良好的就業市場環境，將有助於提高中高齡已婚男性人口勞動參與的比率，進一步能有效提高勞動生產力及降低社會負擔。 / As the proportion of the old population increases in Taiwan, issues of older individuals’ behavior attract public attention. During 1988 to 2008, labor force participation rate of older married men declined over 10 percent. What can explain this decline? This thesis tries to find out the determinants of older married men’s labor force participation in Taiwan. I use the data from Manpower Survey and Manpower Utilization Survey from 1988 to 2008, conducted by Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). The sample comprise 51,730 observations of married men aged 55-64. Older married men’s labor participation decision is treated as a dependent variable and estimates are made with a probit and a bivariate probit model. Decompositions with methodology of DiNardo, Fortin, and Lemieux (1996) and Oaxaca (1973) are conducted for explaining the decline in labor participation rate of older married men between 1988 and 2008. The results indicate that the increase in wives’ labor force participation increases husband’s likelihood of participation and prevents aggregate husbands’ participation rate from declining about 1 percentage point (-8 percent of total decline). However, regional unemployment rate negatively affects husband’s likelihood of participation and can explain at least 3.5 percent (40 percent of total decline) of the decline in husband’s participation rate. This thesis suggests the labor force participation rate could be stopped from declining if the government maintains good labor market condition.

There exists much controversy as to whether international migration in general, and migrant's remittances in particular, increase or decrease economic welfare at origin. Our research contributes to the international discussion on remittances by presenting novel insights on the basis of theoretical and empirical analysis. Analysis of remittances from macro-economic as well as micro-economic point of view reveals that remittances not only have growth enhancing effect but also have an equalizing impact on income distribution of the recipient economy. The first chapter shows how large flows of remittances not only help the receiver to accumulate necessary savings but also reduce the critical level of wealth needed to get access to the capital market to instigate entrepreneurship. The second chapter reveals that the measured impact of remittances on business investment have significant country heterogeneity; remittances facilitate entrepreneurship in those countries where the lenders of the capital market can predict smooth and increasing flow of remittances. The third chapter proposes that remittances work better than aid in enhancing growth of the recipient country and the reason is that remittances are more effective than aid in augmenting capital accumulation.

The situation that China's pensions cannot cover the expenditure is becoming more and more serious. On the one hand, it is to increase the rate of return of enterprise annuities. On the other hand, it is to increase the participation rate of enterprise annuities. In order to improve the participation rate of enterprise annuity, it is of great significance to solve the problem of insufficient funds of enterprise annuity from the aspect of supply. Based on this, this dissertation conducts detailed research, focusing on the impact of relevant factors on the participation rate of enterprise annuity from the enterprise level and the individual level. After making a detailed overview of the situation of domestic enterprise annuity, this dissertation analyzes the influencing factors of the participation rate of enterprise annuity of China based on the latest nationally representative micro data CHIP 2018. The analysis uses the "bivariate Probit model", that is, the enterprise level and the individual level, employing 0-1 bivariate as the dependent variables and employee income, employee education, employee gender, enterprise income as independent variables. The analysis also includes other control variables. The empirical evidence found that employee income, employee education, and employee gender have impacts on employee participation in enterprise annuity; enterprise ownership, company income, and the industry in which the company is located have impacts on whether the enterprise establishes an enterprise annuity plan. In addition, there are differences in the state-owned system and private system and industry differences on the establishment of enterprise annuity plans. Finally, this dissertation gives relevant policy suggestions that may provide some theoretical guidance for increasing the participation rate of enterprise annuity.Key words: Enterprise annuity; Participation rate; Bivariate Probit model; Policy suggestions. / Business Administration/Interdisciplinary

We examine the gender gap in school attendance of children aged 7-14 in India using National Family Health Survey Three (NFHS-3). We demonstrate that the choice of the sample examined has important implications for policy. A household decision model is used to motivate whether a child attends school and/or works. A bivariate probit model and Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition are applied to see how changing sample groups and adding regressors impact results, and the implications this has upon gender gap and effectiveness of centralized policy as opposed to decentralized policy. Results show the gender gap is sensitive to the sub samples chosen (e.g. a particular state, a specific location (urban or rural), and gender) and to the choice of regressors, and that centralized policy may be less effective than decentralized policy. Parental education, wealth, location and gender are found to be the most volatile and influential variables in the household decision process. / Graduate

Farmers generally produce multiple crops while selectively adopting modern technologies to meet various needs. The main aim of this study is, therefore, to identify the range of socio-economic factors influencing the adoption of modern agricultural technology in multiple food crops and the corresponding impacts on productivity and food availability at the farm-level in South-eastern Nigeria. In this study, three major food crops (i.e., rice, yam and cassava) and two elements of modern technologies (i.e., HYV seeds and inorganic fertilizers) are considered. The hypotheses of the study are that inverse farm size – technology adoption, size – productivity, size- profitability and size – food availability relationships exist in Nigerian agriculture. The research is based on an in-depth farm-survey of 400 farmers from two states (251 from Ebonyi and 149 from Anambra states) of South-eastern Nigeria. Data has also been derived from surveys and interviews of ADP Program Managers and NGOs. A range of qualitative and quantitative methods including inferential statistics, bivariate probit model and regression analysis were used in order to achieve the specific objectives and test hypotheses. The results show that sample respondents are dominated by small scale farmers (81% of total) owning land less than 1 ha. The average farm size is small estimated at 1.27 ha. Farmers grow multiple crops instead of a single crop, i.e., 68% of the surveyed farmers grew at least two food crops. The level of modern technology adoption is low and mixed and farmers selectively adopt components of technologies as expected and use far less than recommended dose of fertilizers in crops. Only 29% of farmers adopted both HYV seeds and fertilizers as a package. The study clearly demonstrates that inverse farm size – technology adoption, farm size – productivity, and farm size – food availability relationships exist in agriculture in this region of Nigeria; but not inverse farm size – profitability. The bivariate probit model diagnostic reveals that the decision to adopt modern technologies are significantly correlated, implying that univariate analysis of such decisions are biased, thereby, justifying use of the bivariate approach. Overall, the most dominant determinants are the positive influence of farming experience and the negative influence of remoteness of extension services on modern technology adoption. The per capita per day level of mean food produced is 12322.74 calories from one ha of land and food available for consumption is 4693.34 calories which is higher than the daily requirement of 2000 calories. Yam is produced mainly for sale while cassava is produced for consumption. Regression analysis shows that farm size and share of cassava in the total crop portfolio significantly increases food availability. A host of constraints are affecting Nigerian agriculture, which includes lack of extension agents, credit facilities, farm inputs, irrigation, and value addition and corruption, lack of support for ADP staff and ineffective government policies. Policy implications include investment in extension credit services and other infrastructure (e.g., irrigation, ADP staff), training of small farmers in business skills, promotion of modern technology, as a package as well as special projects targeted for cassava (e.g., Cassava Plus project) in order to boost modern technology adoption in food crops, as well as improving productivity, profitability and food availability at the farm-level in Nigeria.