Remittance Effects on Child Labour: Evidence from Burkina Faso
Résumé
This article explores the effects of remittance receipt on child labour in an African context. We
focus on Burkina Faso, a country with a high prevalence of child labour and a high rate of migration. Given the
complex relationship between remittance receipt and household time allocation decisions, we instrument remittances
using economic conditions in remittance-sending countries and explore heterogeneous effects across
different types of potential remitters. While remittances have no significant effect on child labour on average,
transfers reduce child labour in long-term migrant households, for whom the disruptive effect of migration is no
longer felt. We find no gender difference but remittances seem to affect mainly the labour market participation of
younger children.