Turning Points in International Labor Migration: A Case Study of Thailand

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pracha Vasuprasat
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Investment ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Direct Foreign Investment ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
International Labor ◽  
Commodity Export ◽  
Gulf Crisis ◽  
Market Needs

This article describes the dynamics of the structural transformation of the Thai economy, labor migration and direct foreign investment and proposes an econometric model to explain the migration phenomenon. Though migration shifts have been significantly influenced by political factors such as the Gulf crisis and tensions with Saudi Arabia, economic factors such as the Thai government's liberalization of markets and the expansion of trade and direct foreign investment have contributed to changes in labor market needs. The economic conditions for a shift from net exporter to net importer of labor are posited in the model. The empirical results reveal a turning point in labor migration from Thailand and also confirm the contribution of commodity export in place of labor export in creating employment and income.

The Lewisian Turning Point and International Migration: The Case of Japan

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susumu Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Exchange Rates ◽  
Foreign Investment ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Direct Foreign Investment ◽  
Foreign Workers ◽  
Trade Barriers ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
Labor Market Conditions

This article critically examines the Lewisian turning point in light of Japan's experience since the mid-1800s. Japan reached its Lewisian turning point around 1960. Contrary to the assumptions of the theory however, the findings for Japan indicate that political factors have been more determinative of the rate of migration than purely economic ones. Prior to its turning point in 1960, international relations, war and forced repatriation were the decisive factors. Recently, though the inflow of foreign workers to fill labor shortages has increased, so also has the outflow of Japanese to accompany direct foreign investment. DFI itself is more responsive to trade barriers, exchange rates and incentives offered by host governments than to differing wage levels or labor market conditions.

Conceptualizing International Labor Migration: A Structuration Perspective

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Goss ◽  
Bruce Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Labor Migration ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
International Labor ◽  
Anthony Giddens ◽  
Theory Of Structuration ◽  
International Labor Migration

This article applies the theory of structuration to international labor migration using case study material from the Philippines. It first provides a brief review of the functional and structural approaches to understanding labor migration and the theoretical impasse that has been created between them. It then reviews several attempts to resolve this impasse, including systems and networks approaches; these solutions are rejected on theoretical and empirical grounds. We suggest that migrant institutions may be a more appropriate mid-level concept than households or social networks to articulate various levels of analysis. We develop this concept in the context of the structuration theory of Anthony Giddens and attempt to apply this to the Philippines, concluding that this framework is eminently suited for further research on international labor migration.

White-Collar Foreign Workers in Taiwan

1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 569-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilawan Kanjanapan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Investment ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
American English ◽  
Direct Foreign Investment ◽  
White Collar ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foreign Workers ◽  
Assisted Migration ◽  
Yearly Average

This paper discusses capital-assisted and non-capital-assisted migration to Taiwan. Despite a yearly average of US$915 million in direct foreign investment (DFI) in Taiwan in the 1980s, the number of professional transient migrants in Taiwan is not large, totaling only 960 persons in 1988. As sources of both DFI and capital-assisted migration, Japan ranked highest, followed by the United States and Europe. Foreign professionals sent by transnational corporations are likely to be found in capital and technology intensive industries, as well as trade and the services. Among non-capital-assisted migrants, American English teachers are highlighted with results of a case study on their characteristics, work experience and adjustment.

Foreign Investment in Asia in the 1990s: Trends, Problems and Implications for Manpower Movements

1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 529-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sueo Sekiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
North America ◽  
Foreign Investment ◽  
Capital Flows ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Direct Foreign Investment ◽  
The Other ◽  
International Capital ◽  
International Labor ◽  
The U.S

The diversity and rapidity of change in direct foreign investment (DFI) are described for flows among North America, Western Europe, Japan, ASEAN, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Russia. The U.S. share of DFI in Pacific Rim countries has declined, while that of Japan and Western Europe has increased. The NIEs have emerged as new investors in the region. The decline in U.S. DFI is likely to be compensated by Asian intra-regional flows initiated by Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. On one hand, international capital flows can serve as a substitute for international labor flows; on the other, DFI can also give rise to bidirectional flows of manpower ranging from unskilled to professional levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document