Are there Employment Prospects for Partnered Women in Tanzania when Migrating? Evidence from the National Panel Data

This study considers the effects of family migration on labor market outcomes for the migrant partnered women. Whereas most partnered women are ‘tied’ migrants, results from the dynamic random effects model establish that, migrant women who were not employed in their previous places of residence are more likely to find jobs than similar non-migrant women. The result contrasts findings from prior studies, most of which were carried out in the developed world and measured employment in a strict formal manner. Given the way the employment variable was defined in the National Panel Data, it is very likely that informality in the labor market allows women to access work quite easily. The study concludes by proposing a number of areas where future researches could be undertaken – for example on whether non-migrant, non-working women choose to stay out of work and which features of informal works in developing countries (like Tanzania) facilitate more positive work experiences for paired migrants.