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John Gibson - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the development impact of a best practice Seasonal Worker policy
The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal migration programs are widely used around the world, yet there is little evidence as to their development impacts. A multiyear prospective evaluation of New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Seasonal Worker program allows us to measure the impact of participating in this program on households in Tonga and Vanuatu. Using a propensity-score prescreened difference-in-differences analysis based on surveys fielded before, during, and after participation, we find that the RSE has indeed had positive development impacts that dwarf those of other popular development interventions. It has increased income, consumption, and savings of households; durable goods ownership; and subjective standard of living. The results also suggest that child schooling improved in Tonga.
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development through Seasonal Worker programs the case of new zealand s rse program
Social Science Research Network, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal Worker programs are increasingly seen as offering the potential to be part of international development policy. New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer program is one of the first and most prominent of programs designed with this perspective. This paper provides a detailed examination of this policy through the first six seasons. This includes the important role of policy facilitation measures taken by governments and aid agencies. The evolution of the program in terms of Worker numbers is discussed, along with new data on the (high) degree of circularity in Worker movements, and new data on (very low) Worker overstay rates. There appears to have been little displacement of New Zealand Workers, and new data show Recognised Seasonal Employer Workers to be more productive than local labor and that Workers appear to gain productivity as they return for subsequent seasons. The program has also benefitted the migrants participating in the program, with increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, savings, and subjective well-being. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the program is largely living up to its promise of a "triple win" for migrants, their sending countries in the Pacific, and New Zealand.
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development through Seasonal Worker programs the case of new zealand s rse program
Chapters, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal Worker programs are increasingly seen as offering the potential to be part of international development policy, in addition to the traditional goal of meeting domestic agricultural needs. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) program is one of the first and most prominent of programs designed with this perspective. This chapter provides a detailed examination of this policy through the first six seasons. It begins by outlining the background to the launch of the program, and key features of how the program operates in practice. This includes the important role of policy facilitation measures taken by national governments and aid agencies. The evolution of the program in terms of Worker numbers is then discussed, along with new data on the (high) degree of circularity in Worker movements, and new data on (very low) Worker overstay rates. This is followed by a summary of the impacts of the program on New Zealand Workers and employers: there appears to have been little displacement of New Zealand Workers, and new data shows RSE Workers to be more productive than local labor, and that Workers appear to gain productivity as they return for subsequent seasons. The program has also benefitted the migrants participating in the program, with increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, savings, and subjective well-being, with some evidence of small positive spillover benefits to their communities in the form of public goods. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the RSE program is largely living up to its promise of a “triple win” for migrants, their sending countries in the Pacific, and for New Zealand, and that it is one of the most successful development interventions for which rigorous evidence exists. As such, both development and immigration policy can benefit from learning the lessons of this program.
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australia s pacific Seasonal Worker pilot scheme pswps development impacts in the first two years
Research Papers in Economics, 2011Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Australia launched the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme in August 2008. This program was designed to alleviate labor shortages for the Australian horticultural industry by providing opportunities for Workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu to undertake Seasonal work. This paper presents an analysis of the development impacts of this program in the first two years, and compares them to those from New Zealand’s Seasonal Worker program in the same countries. The overall development impact of the scheme to date is small, since only 215 individuals participated in the program in the first two years. We examine the selection of these Workers, finding they tend to come from poorer areas of Tonga, but within these locations, appear to be of average income levels, and indeed are similar in many respects to the Workers going to New Zealand. We estimate the gain per participating household to be approximately A$2,600, which is a 39 percent increase in per-capita annual income in participating Tongan households. The aggregate impact to date is small, but the experience of New Zealand’s program shows that Seasonal Worker programs can potentially have large aggregate effects. Finally, we provide some evidence on Worker’s opinions about the program.
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the development impact of a best practice Seasonal Worker policy new zealand s recognised Seasonal employer rse scheme
Research Papers in Economics, 2010Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal migration programs are widely used around the world, and are increasingly seen as offering a potential 'triple-win'- benefiting the migrant, sending country, and receiving country. Yet there is a dearth of rigorous evidence as to their development impact, and concerns about whether the time periods involved are too short to realize much in the way of benefits, and whether poorer, less skilled households actually get to participate in such programs. We study the development impacts of a recently introduced Seasonal Worker program which has been deemed to be 'best practice'. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) program was launched in 2007 with an explicit focus on development in the Pacific alongside the aim of benefiting employers at home. A multi-year prospective evaluation allows us to measure the impact of participation in this program on households and communities in Tonga and Vanuatu. Using a matched difference-in-differences analysis based on detailed surveys fielded before, during, and after participation, we find that the RSE has indeed had largely positive development impacts. It has increased income and consumption of households, allowed households to purchase more durable goods, increased subjective standard of living, and had additional benefits at the community level. It also increased child schooling in Tonga. This should rank it among the most effective development policies evaluated to date. The policy was designed as a best practice example based on lessons elsewhere, and now should serve as a model for other countries to follow.
David Mckenzie - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the development impact of a best practice Seasonal Worker policy
The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal migration programs are widely used around the world, yet there is little evidence as to their development impacts. A multiyear prospective evaluation of New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Seasonal Worker program allows us to measure the impact of participating in this program on households in Tonga and Vanuatu. Using a propensity-score prescreened difference-in-differences analysis based on surveys fielded before, during, and after participation, we find that the RSE has indeed had positive development impacts that dwarf those of other popular development interventions. It has increased income, consumption, and savings of households; durable goods ownership; and subjective standard of living. The results also suggest that child schooling improved in Tonga.
-
development through Seasonal Worker programs the case of new zealand s rse program
Social Science Research Network, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal Worker programs are increasingly seen as offering the potential to be part of international development policy. New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer program is one of the first and most prominent of programs designed with this perspective. This paper provides a detailed examination of this policy through the first six seasons. This includes the important role of policy facilitation measures taken by governments and aid agencies. The evolution of the program in terms of Worker numbers is discussed, along with new data on the (high) degree of circularity in Worker movements, and new data on (very low) Worker overstay rates. There appears to have been little displacement of New Zealand Workers, and new data show Recognised Seasonal Employer Workers to be more productive than local labor and that Workers appear to gain productivity as they return for subsequent seasons. The program has also benefitted the migrants participating in the program, with increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, savings, and subjective well-being. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the program is largely living up to its promise of a "triple win" for migrants, their sending countries in the Pacific, and New Zealand.
-
development through Seasonal Worker programs the case of new zealand s rse program
Chapters, 2014Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal Worker programs are increasingly seen as offering the potential to be part of international development policy, in addition to the traditional goal of meeting domestic agricultural needs. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) program is one of the first and most prominent of programs designed with this perspective. This chapter provides a detailed examination of this policy through the first six seasons. It begins by outlining the background to the launch of the program, and key features of how the program operates in practice. This includes the important role of policy facilitation measures taken by national governments and aid agencies. The evolution of the program in terms of Worker numbers is then discussed, along with new data on the (high) degree of circularity in Worker movements, and new data on (very low) Worker overstay rates. This is followed by a summary of the impacts of the program on New Zealand Workers and employers: there appears to have been little displacement of New Zealand Workers, and new data shows RSE Workers to be more productive than local labor, and that Workers appear to gain productivity as they return for subsequent seasons. The program has also benefitted the migrants participating in the program, with increases in per capita incomes, expenditure, savings, and subjective well-being, with some evidence of small positive spillover benefits to their communities in the form of public goods. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the RSE program is largely living up to its promise of a “triple win” for migrants, their sending countries in the Pacific, and for New Zealand, and that it is one of the most successful development interventions for which rigorous evidence exists. As such, both development and immigration policy can benefit from learning the lessons of this program.
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australia s pacific Seasonal Worker pilot scheme pswps development impacts in the first two years
Research Papers in Economics, 2011Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Australia launched the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme in August 2008. This program was designed to alleviate labor shortages for the Australian horticultural industry by providing opportunities for Workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu to undertake Seasonal work. This paper presents an analysis of the development impacts of this program in the first two years, and compares them to those from New Zealand’s Seasonal Worker program in the same countries. The overall development impact of the scheme to date is small, since only 215 individuals participated in the program in the first two years. We examine the selection of these Workers, finding they tend to come from poorer areas of Tonga, but within these locations, appear to be of average income levels, and indeed are similar in many respects to the Workers going to New Zealand. We estimate the gain per participating household to be approximately A$2,600, which is a 39 percent increase in per-capita annual income in participating Tongan households. The aggregate impact to date is small, but the experience of New Zealand’s program shows that Seasonal Worker programs can potentially have large aggregate effects. Finally, we provide some evidence on Worker’s opinions about the program.
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the development impact of a best practice Seasonal Worker policy new zealand s recognised Seasonal employer rse scheme
Research Papers in Economics, 2010Co-Authors: John Gibson, David MckenzieAbstract:Seasonal migration programs are widely used around the world, and are increasingly seen as offering a potential 'triple-win'- benefiting the migrant, sending country, and receiving country. Yet there is a dearth of rigorous evidence as to their development impact, and concerns about whether the time periods involved are too short to realize much in the way of benefits, and whether poorer, less skilled households actually get to participate in such programs. We study the development impacts of a recently introduced Seasonal Worker program which has been deemed to be 'best practice'. New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) program was launched in 2007 with an explicit focus on development in the Pacific alongside the aim of benefiting employers at home. A multi-year prospective evaluation allows us to measure the impact of participation in this program on households and communities in Tonga and Vanuatu. Using a matched difference-in-differences analysis based on detailed surveys fielded before, during, and after participation, we find that the RSE has indeed had largely positive development impacts. It has increased income and consumption of households, allowed households to purchase more durable goods, increased subjective standard of living, and had additional benefits at the community level. It also increased child schooling in Tonga. This should rank it among the most effective development policies evaluated to date. The policy was designed as a best practice example based on lessons elsewhere, and now should serve as a model for other countries to follow.
Priya Chattier - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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beyond development impact gender and care in the pacific Seasonal Worker programme
Gender & Development, 2019Co-Authors: Priya ChattierAbstract:ABSTRACTClose to 17,320 Workers participate in the Seasonal Worker Programme, a temporary migration scheme between Australia and selected island countries in the Pacific. This article looks at the ways in which Seasonal migration affects the social lives of migrants from Tonga and Vanuatu, in their households and communities. It explores the various barriers that women face as a result of this scheme, highlighting, in particular, imbalances in the gendered division of labour caused by the absence of males due to migration. It argues that focusing solely on the economic development discourse of Seasonal labour programmes is problematic because it fails to take into account the normative dynamics and general context of Seasonal Workers. Such an approach also fails to take into consideration the rights of migrants to live with their families, and not to have to make choices that are shaped by physical separation from their families and communities. The article concludes with recommendations for policy reform...
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the social impacts of Seasonal migration lessons from australia s Seasonal Worker program for pacific islanders
2018Co-Authors: Priya Chattier, Manohar Sharma, Anuja Utz, Jesse Jon Gerome DoyleAbstract:The Seasonal Worker program (SWP) is a temporary migration scheme between Australia and selected Pacific Island countries. It was introduced in 2012 and covers the agriculture, accommodation, and tourism sectors. Extensive efforts have been made to evaluate the economic impacts of the scheme, but there is a lack of evidence on the social impacts emanating from the extended absences of key family members. Moreover, of the 17,320 Workers who have participated in the program since its inception, only 13.7 percent have been women. There are gaps in understanding around the gendered impact of the program and the constraints that prevent women from accessing the SWP. Based on a focus on the two largest participating countries in the scheme, Tonga and Vanuatu, this paper aims to: (i) assess both positive and negative social impacts of Seasonal migration and explore how negative consequences can be mitigated; and (ii) examine the experience of women in the program, explore the barriers to access, and put forward a set of recommendations to increase the female participation rate.
Jesse Jon Gerome Doyle - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the social impacts of Seasonal migration lessons from australia s Seasonal Worker program for pacific islanders
2018Co-Authors: Priya Chattier, Manohar Sharma, Anuja Utz, Jesse Jon Gerome DoyleAbstract:The Seasonal Worker program (SWP) is a temporary migration scheme between Australia and selected Pacific Island countries. It was introduced in 2012 and covers the agriculture, accommodation, and tourism sectors. Extensive efforts have been made to evaluate the economic impacts of the scheme, but there is a lack of evidence on the social impacts emanating from the extended absences of key family members. Moreover, of the 17,320 Workers who have participated in the program since its inception, only 13.7 percent have been women. There are gaps in understanding around the gendered impact of the program and the constraints that prevent women from accessing the SWP. Based on a focus on the two largest participating countries in the scheme, Tonga and Vanuatu, this paper aims to: (i) assess both positive and negative social impacts of Seasonal migration and explore how negative consequences can be mitigated; and (ii) examine the experience of women in the program, explore the barriers to access, and put forward a set of recommendations to increase the female participation rate.
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maximizing the development impacts from temporary migration recommendations for australia s Seasonal Worker program
2017Co-Authors: Jesse Jon Gerome Doyle, Manohar SharmaAbstract:The Seasonal Worker program (SWP) was formally introduced in 2012 following a four-year pilot scheme. The program maintains the dual objectives of: (i) contributing to the economic development of nine participating Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste; and (ii) filling labor shortages in the Australian agriculture sector, accommodation sector (in selected locations), and tourism sector (the Northern Australia tourism pilot). This paper assesses the first of these objectives, evaluating the impact of the SWP on Workers, their households, and communities. In doing so, it aims to build on the evidence already collected on the development impacts of the Pacific Seasonal Worker pilot scheme and shed further light on how the program can be improved to increase the benefits flowing through to the Pacific region.
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australia s Seasonal Worker program demand side constraints and suggested reforms
2015Co-Authors: Jesse Jon Gerome Doyle, Stephen HowesAbstract:The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP), which was informed by the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), represents the first effort by an Australian government to explicitly open low-skilled work opportunities to Pacific Islanders since Federation. The PSWPS was largely modelled on the success of New Zealands equivalent RSE scheme. The PSWPS ran over a four year period in the horticulture sector (2008-2012) and had a total cap of 2,500 Workers. Despite the widespread success and rapid expansion of the RSE, the PSWPS got off to a slow start and never managed to reach its full potential. This paper aims to determine whether the factors constraining demand have changed since the PSWPS and what reforms could help lift employer demand. It does so through assessing the views of a sample of employers and industry bodies across the horticulture industry. The trial sectors are not covered. The study is divided into five sections. Section two describes the origin, design and features of both the PSWPS and SWP. Section three provides a brief overview of the survey. Section four presents the key results and discusses how these compare with those collected by Hay and Howes (2012). Section five explores a possible way forward by suggesting a series of reforms based on the core set of findings.
Stephen Howes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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australia s Seasonal Worker program demand side constraints and suggested reforms
2015Co-Authors: Jesse Jon Gerome Doyle, Stephen HowesAbstract:The Seasonal Worker Program (SWP), which was informed by the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), represents the first effort by an Australian government to explicitly open low-skilled work opportunities to Pacific Islanders since Federation. The PSWPS was largely modelled on the success of New Zealands equivalent RSE scheme. The PSWPS ran over a four year period in the horticulture sector (2008-2012) and had a total cap of 2,500 Workers. Despite the widespread success and rapid expansion of the RSE, the PSWPS got off to a slow start and never managed to reach its full potential. This paper aims to determine whether the factors constraining demand have changed since the PSWPS and what reforms could help lift employer demand. It does so through assessing the views of a sample of employers and industry bodies across the horticulture industry. The trial sectors are not covered. The study is divided into five sections. Section two describes the origin, design and features of both the PSWPS and SWP. Section three provides a brief overview of the survey. Section four presents the key results and discusses how these compare with those collected by Hay and Howes (2012). Section five explores a possible way forward by suggesting a series of reforms based on the core set of findings.
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Australia’s Seasonal Worker program: demand-side constraints and suggested reforms
World Bank, 2015Co-Authors: Jesse Doyle, Stephen HowesAbstract:Examines Australias Seasonal Workers Program (SPW) and reccomends a series of reforms to lift employer demand. Summary Australia’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) permits Workers from eight Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste to work in Australia for a period of fourteen weeks to six months. The program centers on the horticulture sector, but is currently being trialed in four other sectors that were also perceived as suffering from labor shortages: accommodation, aquaculture, cotton and sugar cane. The number of Pacific Seasonal Workers in Australia has progressively increased since 2008, but remains small in comparison both to the overall number of foreign Workers operating in these sectors, mainly backpackers, and to New Zealand’s equivalent Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme. In 2011, Stephen Howes and Danielle Hay carried out a survey examining employers’ views of the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), which preceded the SWP. Since this survey, there has been no further examination of why take-up remains low. This paper reports on the results of a comprehensive survey of employers and industry bodies across the horticulture sector. The findings confirm that the lack of an aggregate labor shortage due to the prevalence of illegal Workers and backpackers in the horticulture industry remains the key constraint on employer demand for the SWP. In addition, there is still a lack of awareness of the scheme. This is particularly acute in states and territories with few Pacific Seasonal Workers. Growers who are aware of the scheme feel that its costs and risks need to be reduced. The reputation of the SWP is still poor amongst non-participating growers, but moderately positive amongst Approved Employers and participating growers, though these latter groups find the scheme’s administrative requirements burdensome. Encouragingly, one in four non-participating growers express an openness to taking on Seasonal Workers. Based on these findings, the report recommends a series of reforms to lift employer demand. Key recommendations include: increasing funding for compliance activities to reduce the number of illegal Workers in horticulture; either removing or reducing the second-year visa extension for backpackers working in horticulture, or generalizing it to all sectors; removing the upfront costs for returning Workers and covering those for new Workers through a revolving fund; reducing the minimum fourteen week work requirement; giving employers a greater role in Worker selection; advertising the SWP through a targeted group of horticultural industry bodies; streamlining reporting requirements to government; and easing labor market testing requirements for participating growers
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australia s pacific Seasonal Worker pilot scheme why has take up been so low
Research Papers in Economics, 2012Co-Authors: Danielle Joy Hay, Stephen HowesAbstract:The Australian Government introduced the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS) in 2008 to allow Pacific Islanders to fill Seasonal labour shortages in the horticulture industry, and announced in December 2011 that the scheme would be made permanent. Take-up of the scheme is increasing but has been very low. As of the end of March 2012, only 1,100 PSWPS Workers have arrived since the scheme’s commencement. This study tries to explain why the PSWPS has not employed more Pacific Workers. It distinguishes between different hypotheses that could explain the poor outcome, and uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to test each hypothesis, including a survey of growers. The study finds a number of reasons for the low take-up. Growers are largely satisfied with their current labour supply, in terms of both quantity and quality: 93 percent of growers interviewed said they had no trouble finding labour, and 81 percent were satisfied with the quality of their existing labour force. The scheme is not well known: half the growers surveyed had simply not heard of the scheme, and most of those who had lacked information about it. The scheme also suffers from perceptions of high levels of risk and costs, including excessive red tape. Despite its slow start, PSWPS might still succeed on the basis of the productivity gains it has already shown it can deliver. But this is by no means assured: even growers who are unhappy with their current labour supply arrangements are reluctant to try the PSWPS. For the scheme to expand, the Australian Government will need to promote the scheme much more vigorously, and reduce the scheme’s financial and compliance costs. The Government also needs to attend to illegal horticultural labour practices, and tackle the booming working holiday visa category. Most growers now rely mainly on backpackers, and their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years: we estimate the number of backpackers working on farms increased from 13,000 in 2001-02 to 37,000 in 2007-08. In particular, the special preference which horticulture receives under the working holiday visa category should be removed. The policy challenges involved in making the PSWPS work should not be underestimated. Other avenues should also be explored for promoting Pacific migration, including adoption of New Zealand’s quota-based Pacific permanent migration schemes.