Remittances significantly affect recipient households’ behavior. Using data from the Jamaican Survey of Living Conditions and the Jamaican Labor Force Survey ( 2001-2007), this dissertation explores the effects of remittances on labor market participation and household expenditures. Jamaica’s proximity to the United States and its diaspora of educated individuals shapes an economy largely dependent on remittances, thus providing an interesting case study. First, we investigate whether remittances alter labor market behavior of married women in remittance-receiving households located in Jamaica. Remittances, the wife’s education, and wages are all treated as endogenous when estimating labor market participation and hours worked. Unlike other studies, we find that after instrumenting for remittances, the outside income has no significant effect on the supply of labor. Second, we assess the extent that remittances alter the consumption pattern of recipient households in Jamaica. Classical theory predicts that total income affects household consumption decisions, but developments in behavioral economics suggest otherwise. The disaggregation of income streams and consumption expenditures provide us with unique insight into household behavior and in particular, spending on items such as food, schooling, and vices. Using Engel curve estimation and the two-part fractional response models, we find that the source of income significantly affects the shares of income spent in specific consumption categories. Recipients, for example, generally spend more of their income on schooling and home production and less at the grocery store. These findings suggest important implications should government look to tax or restrict the flow of remittances.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study examined the trends in household consumption expenditure among the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria within the context of Engel's law of consumption. The study specifically set out to achieve the following objectives: to determine the trends in household consumption expenditure in Nigeria; to examine the food, health, education and non-food expenditures of households in Nigeria; to estimate the food share of total household expenditure through the estimation of the Engel curve for the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria; to determine if there are consumption economies of scale among households by estimating the Working-Leser form of the Engel curve; and, to examine consumption inequality among households in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The study used the Nigeria General Household Survey data wave 1 (2010-2011) and wave 2 (2012-2013) to estimate the Working-Leser form of the Engel curve to determine households' budget share for food consumption and the scale of consumption among the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The study used the Gini coefficient to measure consumption inequality among and between the six geopolitical zones.

Neste trabalho estudou-se a existência de viés de gênero nas escolhas familiares em gastar recursos na educação dos filhos e filhas. Foi obtida uma amostra de 11386 famílias da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares - POF 2002-2003 do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). As famílias tinham filhos e filhas entre 7 e 20 anos de idade, com pelo menos um deles matriculado e sem que outro membro da família, pais ou outros parentes, também estivesse matriculado. Curvas de Engel para as despesas com educação e para gastos com grupos de itens de despesas educacionais foram estimadas. Entre as variáveis explicativas estão o número de filhos e número de filhas matriculados e o número de filhos e o número de filhas não matriculados segundo faixas etárias. Outras variáveis socioeconômicas e demográficas controlaram as demais características familiares. Como 2066 famílias não apresentaram despesas com educação, as curvas de Engel foram estimadas com a utilização de modelos Tobit. As curvas de Engel também foram estimadas por Mínimos Quadrados e os resultados comparados com os obtidos pelos modelos Tobit. A igualdade entre os parâmetros estimados do número de filhos e filhas matriculados em cada faixa etária foi verificada com testes de Wald, isto para os dois procedimentos de estimação utilizados. Os resultados econométricos foram consistentes com a hipótese do trade-off quantidade qualidade existente nas decisões familiares de alocar recursos para a prole, pois o número total de filhos e filhas pressionou as despesas com educação a taxas decrescentes. As análises das despesas com educação, realizadas com os dois procedimentos de estimação, indicaram diferenças significativas no impacto causado por filhos e filhas matriculados nas faixas etárias de 7 a 10 anos e de 15 a 20 anos, com viés pró-feminino. A análise dos gastos com mensalidades escolares com modelos Tobit indicou diferenças significativas para duas faixas etárias, de 11 a 14 anos e de 15 a 20 anos, com viés pró-feminino na última faixa. Com Mínimos Quadrados houve viés pró-feminino na faixa de 15 a 20 anos, nas demais faixas não houve diferenças significativas. Quando foram analisados os gastos com cursos não regulares com um modelo Tobit, foram observadas diferenças significativas de 7 a 10 anos e de 11 a 14 anos, as duas pró-femininas. Ao analisar os gastos com cursos não regulares por Mínimos Quadrados, detectou-se viés pró-masculino na faixa etária de 11 a 14 anos e viés pró-feminino nas demais faixas. Entre as demais estimativas não houve diferenças significativas ou elas foram pró-femininas, independente do procedimento de estimação. Os resultados indicam que a formação das jovens não sofreu discriminação no que tange à disposição das famílias de gastarem com a formação de sua prole, salvo as duas exceções mencionadas. Estes resultados mostraram-se consistentes com o cenário favorável à escolarização feminina no Brasil já apontado em outros estudos. / This study investigated the gender bias presence within the family choices about spending resourses with their children\'s education. A sample of 11386 families was obtained from Household Budget Survey - POF 2002-2003, of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistic - IBGE. The families had children between 7 and 20 years old, with at least one of them enrolled, considering that no other member of the family, parents or relatives, was enrolled. Engel curves for the overall expenses and for expenditures with educational item groups were estimated. The number of sons and daughters enrolled and the number of sons and daughters not enrolled according to age level are among the explanatory variables. Other socioeconomics and demographic variables controlled the rest of the family characteristics. As 2066 families did not showed expenses with education, the Engel curves were estimated using Tobit models. The Engel curves were also estimated by the method of Least Squares and the results were compared to the ones obtained by Tobit model. The equity between the estimated parameters of the number of sons and daughters enrolled in each age level was verified with Wald test for both the estimation procedures used. The econometric results were consistent with the hypothesis of quantity-quality trade-off which exists within the family decisions when allocating resourses for their children because the total number of children pressed the educational expenditures at decreasing rates. The analysis of total expenses with education, accomplished by both the estimation procedures, indicated significant differences in the impact caused by sons and daughters enrolled at the age level from 7 to 10 and from 15 to 20 with pro-female bias. The analysis of the expenditures with school monthly fees with Tobit models indicated significant differences for both age levels, from 11 to 14 and from 15 to 20, with a pro-female bias in the latter level. With the Minimum Square method there was a pro-female bias in the level of age from 15 to 20 years old, in the other levels there were no significant differences. When the expenditures with non regular courses were analyzed with Tobit model, significant differences were observed from 7 to 10 and from 11 to 14 years old, both pro-female. When the expenditures with non regular courses were analyzed with the Minimum Square method a pro-male bias was detected in the age level from 11 to 14 and a pro-female bias in the other levels. Among the other estimations there were no significant differences or they were pro-female, despite the estimation procedure. The results show that the young girls\' education did not suffer any discrimination related to the family disposition of spending with their children\'s education, apart from the two exceptions mentioned. These results are consistent with the favorable scenario to the female education in Brazil already pointed out in other studies.

Neste trabalho estudou-se a existência de viés de gênero nas escolhas familiares em gastar recursos na educação dos filhos e filhas. Foi obtida uma amostra de 11386 famílias da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares - POF 2002-2003 do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). As famílias tinham filhos e filhas entre 7 e 20 anos de idade, com pelo menos um deles matriculado e sem que outro membro da família, pais ou outros parentes, também estivesse matriculado. Curvas de Engel para as despesas com educação e para gastos com grupos de itens de despesas educacionais foram estimadas. Entre as variáveis explicativas estão o número de filhos e número de filhas matriculados e o número de filhos e o número de filhas não matriculados segundo faixas etárias. Outras variáveis socioeconômicas e demográficas controlaram as demais características familiares. Como 2066 famílias não apresentaram despesas com educação, as curvas de Engel foram estimadas com a utilização de modelos Tobit. As curvas de Engel também foram estimadas por Mínimos Quadrados e os resultados comparados com os obtidos pelos modelos Tobit. A igualdade entre os parâmetros estimados do número de filhos e filhas matriculados em cada faixa etária foi verificada com testes de Wald, isto para os dois procedimentos de estimação utilizados. Os resultados econométricos foram consistentes com a hipótese do trade-off quantidade qualidade existente nas decisões familiares de alocar recursos para a prole, pois o número total de filhos e filhas pressionou as despesas com educação a taxas decrescentes. As análises das despesas com educação, realizadas com os dois procedimentos de estimação, indicaram diferenças significativas no impacto causado por filhos e filhas matriculados nas faixas etárias de 7 a 10 anos e de 15 a 20 anos, com viés pró-feminino. A análise dos gastos com mensalidades escolares com modelos Tobit indicou diferenças significativas para duas faixas etárias, de 11 a 14 anos e de 15 a 20 anos, com viés pró-feminino na última faixa. Com Mínimos Quadrados houve viés pró-feminino na faixa de 15 a 20 anos, nas demais faixas não houve diferenças significativas. Quando foram analisados os gastos com cursos não regulares com um modelo Tobit, foram observadas diferenças significativas de 7 a 10 anos e de 11 a 14 anos, as duas pró-femininas. Ao analisar os gastos com cursos não regulares por Mínimos Quadrados, detectou-se viés pró-masculino na faixa etária de 11 a 14 anos e viés pró-feminino nas demais faixas. Entre as demais estimativas não houve diferenças significativas ou elas foram pró-femininas, independente do procedimento de estimação. Os resultados indicam que a formação das jovens não sofreu discriminação no que tange à disposição das famílias de gastarem com a formação de sua prole, salvo as duas exceções mencionadas. Estes resultados mostraram-se consistentes com o cenário favorável à escolarização feminina no Brasil já apontado em outros estudos. / This study investigated the gender bias presence within the family choices about spending resourses with their children\'s education. A sample of 11386 families was obtained from Household Budget Survey - POF 2002-2003, of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistic - IBGE. The families had children between 7 and 20 years old, with at least one of them enrolled, considering that no other member of the family, parents or relatives, was enrolled. Engel curves for the overall expenses and for expenditures with educational item groups were estimated. The number of sons and daughters enrolled and the number of sons and daughters not enrolled according to age level are among the explanatory variables. Other socioeconomics and demographic variables controlled the rest of the family characteristics. As 2066 families did not showed expenses with education, the Engel curves were estimated using Tobit models. The Engel curves were also estimated by the method of Least Squares and the results were compared to the ones obtained by Tobit model. The equity between the estimated parameters of the number of sons and daughters enrolled in each age level was verified with Wald test for both the estimation procedures used. The econometric results were consistent with the hypothesis of quantity-quality trade-off which exists within the family decisions when allocating resourses for their children because the total number of children pressed the educational expenditures at decreasing rates. The analysis of total expenses with education, accomplished by both the estimation procedures, indicated significant differences in the impact caused by sons and daughters enrolled at the age level from 7 to 10 and from 15 to 20 with pro-female bias. The analysis of the expenditures with school monthly fees with Tobit models indicated significant differences for both age levels, from 11 to 14 and from 15 to 20, with a pro-female bias in the latter level. With the Minimum Square method there was a pro-female bias in the level of age from 15 to 20 years old, in the other levels there were no significant differences. When the expenditures with non regular courses were analyzed with Tobit model, significant differences were observed from 7 to 10 and from 11 to 14 years old, both pro-female. When the expenditures with non regular courses were analyzed with the Minimum Square method a pro-male bias was detected in the age level from 11 to 14 and a pro-female bias in the other levels. Among the other estimations there were no significant differences or they were pro-female, despite the estimation procedure. The results show that the young girls\' education did not suffer any discrimination related to the family disposition of spending with their children\'s education, apart from the two exceptions mentioned. These results are consistent with the favorable scenario to the female education in Brazil already pointed out in other studies.

La compréhension des déterminants de la consommation alimentaire et de la situation nutritionnelle des populations est au coeur des enjeux d’amélioration des dispositifs publics d’appui à la sécurité alimentaire et de lutte contre la pauvreté dans les pays en développement. Les crises alimentaires récentes au Sahel et dans de nombreux pays à faible revenu suite à la flambée des prix des denrées alimentaire de base ont mis en évidence les problèmes d’accessibilité des populations pauvres. Les difficultés d’accès à l’alimentation, la pauvreté alimentaire, sont en général associées à la pauvreté monétaire. Pourtant, dans certaines régions, on observe des taux élevés de malnutrition malgré la croissance des revenus. La thèse vise à mieux comprendre la relation entre les revenus et la consommation alimentaire des ménages dans la problématique de sécurité alimentaire des pays du Sud. En complément des outils standards de l’analyse microéconomique de la demande, notamment les fonctions d’Engel, des méthodes empiriques sont mises en oeuvre pour prendre en compte les perspectives qualitatives offertes par les cadres d’analyse de l’accès à la nourriture et des fonctionnements de Sen et des livelihoods. Les analyses statistiques et économétriques sont menées sur le cas du Mali à partir des données de l’enquête nationale budget-consommation des ménages de 2001 qui a porté une attention particulière au volet consommation. Les résultats montrent que, globalement, l’accroissement des dépenses totales (considérées comme proxy des revenus) améliore quantitativement (calories) et qualitativement (diversité) la consommation alimentaire. Mais la comparaison des niveaux de vie des ménages mesurés en termes de pauvreté monétaire et de satisfaction des besoins caloriques révèle des cas inattendus : celui des ménages non pauvres monétaires qui ont une consommation calorique insuffisante et, à l’opposé, celui des ménages pauvres monétaires qui ont une consommation calorique suffisante. L’existence de ces cas, qui ont un poids relatif important dans l’échantillon des ménages maliens, s’explique notamment par les choix de répartition budgétaire et de composition du panier alimentaire au sein des ménages. Elle met en évidence que l’indicateur monétaire traditionnel de la pauvreté n’est pas un indicateursuffisant de la satisfaction des besoins nutritionnels. / Understanding people's food consumption and malnutrition determinants is the main issue for the improvement of public food security and poverty alleviation policies in the developing countries. The recent food crisis in the Sahel and many other low income countries which followed commodities prices increase highlighted the access problem of poor people. Food access problem and food poverty are mostly related to monetary poverty. Yet in some regions, high malnutrition rates are observed despite the income raise. The objective of the thesis is to better understand the households' income – food consumption relationship within the framework of food security in Southern countries.In addition to the standard tools of the microeconomic demand analysis, especially Engel functions, we developed empirical methods to take into account the qualitative perspectives given by the food entitlements and functionings approaches of Sen and the livelihoods approach. The statistical and econometrical analysis draws upon the data of a Malian national survey of 2001 on households' living standards, which paid a particular attention to the food consumption section.The results show that, on the whole, an increase of total expenditures (taken as a proxy of income) raise food consumption quantitatively (calories) and qualitatively (diet diversity). However, living standards comparisons in terms of monetary poverty and calorie needs coverage reveal unexpected cases : monetary non poor households with insufficient calorie intake and monetary poor ones with sufficient calorie intake. The existence of theses cases which represent a relatively important proportion of the survey's sample is explained by the choices of budget allocation and the composition of households' food basket. It underlines that the traditional monetary indicator of poverty is not a suitable indicator of food needs satisfaction.

nÃo hà / Esta dissertaÃÃo apresenta uma anÃlise do impacto do Imposto Sobre OperaÃÃes relativas à CirculaÃÃo de Mercadorias e sobre PrestaÃÃes de ServiÃo de Transporte Interestadual e Intermunicipal e de ComunicaÃÃo- ICMS e do Imposto de Renda Pessoa FÃsica-IRPF na distribuiÃÃo de renda no Estado do CearÃ. O objetivo do estudo à identificar se o ICMS à regressivo, penalizando as pessoas das classes de menor poder econÃmico, e se o IRPF compensa o efeito regressivo do ICMS. Foram utilizados no trabalho informaÃÃes sobre consumo de 50 produtos das famÃlias cearenses constante dos microdados da POF-IBGE 2002/2003. O mÃtodo utilizado para construir a funÃÃo de regressÃo amostral foi dos mÃnimos quadrados ordinÃrios. Estimam-se curvas de Engel com o propÃsito de determinar as elasticidades-renda da demanda dos produtos selecionados em relaÃÃo aos respectivos dispÃndios. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o IRPF compensa a regressividade do ICMS, sendo as classes mais pobres as que arcam em termos relativos com o pagamento do ICMS no Estado do CearÃ. / This thesis presents an analysis of the impact of Tax Operations on the Circulation of Goods and the Rendering of Transportation Service Interstate and Intermunicipal Communications, GST and income tax -Individual Income Tax on income distribution in the state of Ceara. The aim of study is to identify if the GST is regressive, penalizing those classes less economic power, and the PIT offsets the regressive effect of GST. Were used in the paper about consumption of 50 families of products Ceara constant of POF, IBGE 2002/2003. The method used to construct the regression function of the sample was OLS. An estimated Engel curves in order to determine the income elasticities demand of the products selected for their respective expenditures. The results show that the PIT offsets the regressivity of the VAT, and the poorer classes who bear in relative terms with the payment ICMS in the State of CearÃ.

nÃo hà / A presente dissertaÃÃo faz uma avaliaÃÃo do impacto do Imposto sobre OperaÃÃes relativas a CirculaÃÃo de Mercadorias e sobre PrestaÃÃes de ServiÃos de Transporte Interestadual e Intermunicipal e de ComunicaÃÃo- ICMS e do Imposto de Renda da Pessoa FÃsica âIRPF sobre a distribuiÃÃo de renda das famÃlias cearenses. O objetivo do estudo à verificar se o ICMS à um imposto regressivo e se a progressividade do IRPF neutraliza o efeito regressivo do ICMS. A pesquisa levou em consideraÃÃo somente o item alimentaÃÃo e se restringiu à informaÃÃo sobre o consumo de 50 produtos das famÃlias cearenses constantes dos microdados da POF-IBGE 2008/2009. O modelo economÃtrico utilizado para construir a funÃÃo de regressÃo amostral foi dos mÃnimos quadrados ordinÃrios, por meio do qual foram estimadas as curvas de Engel com o propÃsito de determinar as elasticidades-renda da demanda dos produtos selecionados em relaÃÃo aos respectivos dispÃndios. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram, primeiramente, que o ICMS à regressivo, atingindo fortemente as classes de renda mais baixa, e que o IRPF pago pelas classes de renda mais altas compensa a regressividade do ICMS. / The present dissertation makes an assessment of the impact of the Imposto sobre OperaÃÃes relativas a CirculaÃÃo de Mercadorias e sobre PrestaÃÃo de ServiÃos de Transporte Interestadual e Intermunicipal e de ComunicaÃÃo â ICMS and of Imposto de Renda Pessoa FÃsica -IRPF about the income distribution of Cearà families. The objective of this study is to verify if the ICMS is a regressive tax and if the progressivity of IRPF neutralizes the regressive effect of the ICMS. Search took into consideration only the feed item and was restricted to information about 50 products consumption of families in the State of Cearà contained in POF-IBGE 2008/2009. The econometric model used to build the sample regression function was ordinary least squares, through which Engel curves were estimated for the purpose of determining the demand for income-elasticities selected products in relation to their respective expenditure. The obtained results demonstrated, first, that the ICMS is regressive, hitting heavily lower income classes, and that IRPF paid by the highest income classes compensates the regressivity of ICMS.

No description available.