The Resilience seminar cordially invite you to join the seminar.
The 42nd Resilience Seminar
(This seminar is co-hosted by 24th Kyoto Environment and Development Seminar.)

Resilience Seminar #42

• Date & Time: July 4, 2023, Tues 16:30-18:15
• Language: English
• Venue: Seminar Room E217, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University (North Campus, Faculty of Agriculture Main Building, Kyoto University)

Speaker

Ayal Kimhi, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Economics, The Hebrew University

Title

Foreign Workers in Israeli Agriculture and their Effect on Local Wages

Abstract

This paper examines the changes in the wages of different types of workers in different industries during a period in which the number of foreign workers in Israel increased considerably, especially in agriculture. We estimate a difference-in-difference log-wage regression in order to identify the relative wage changes in agriculture, construction and manufacturing, compared to all other industries. We find that the wages of unskilled workers in agriculture decreased compared to the other industries, while the wages of skilled workers and other occupations increased. This is consistent with the view that foreign workers have an important role in affecting the agricultural demand for local workers. In the policy debate over the number of foreign workers in agriculture and their cost, the negative impact on the wages of unskilled workers has to be weighed against the positive imp act on the wages of all other workers.

Brief bio

Ayal Kimhi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Economics at the Hebrew University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Economics from Chicago University in 1991. He has published many papers in peer-reviewed international journals, including the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Economics, Journal of Population Economics, and World Development, among others.

Chair

Chieko Umetsu

Contact

Division of Natural Resource Economics
Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Ken Miura

• miura.ken.3e [at] kyoto-u.ac.jp (replace [at] with @)