Effects of Migration Experience on Labour Income in Turkey

Abstract

A significant number of migrants return to their home country every year, and these returnees with migration experience join the labour force. This study investigates the effect of migration experience on labour income applying regression analysis to data from the Household Labour Force Surveys of Turkey from 2009 to 2018. The findings confirm that migration experience has a positive impact on labour income in Turkey. Furthermore, the returnees earn more than the overall wage earners with the same education and skill levels. Additional findings show that women in Turkey earn less than men across all wage earners in the average, but that migration experience does not close the earnings gap between female and male returnees. Nevertheless, highly-educated and upskilled returnees contribute more to the economic growth of Turkey; so, the returnees are labour capital gains to improve the home country economy.