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Research Assistants

Seasonal Migration in Nepal

In rural agrarian economies, the period between planting and harvest is often a “lean season” when labor demand and wages fall, and the price of staples rise. The landless poor reliant on agricultural work on others’ farms are especially hard hit, and many millions of laborers and their families worldwide suffer from seasonal hunger. This problem is acute in rural South Asia, where the majority of the world’s poor live, and where the majority of those poor are landless. A series of studies in Northern Bangladesh has generated strong evidence that in Northern Bangladesh, subsidies to encourage seasonal migration to more vibrant labor markets during this lean period successfully reduces seasonal hunger for migrants, are 5-10 times as effective as traditional food aid programs, and have positive or null effects on other important outcomes. This project will test a variation of this same program in western Nepal. The RA will work to prepare for an upcoming RCT that will be implemented in the summer of 2019. Tasks will include questionnaire development, analyzing pre-existing and pilot data relevant to the RCT, and helping to analyze baseline data.

Requisite Skills and Qualifications:

Experience with Stata or R, knowledge of RCTs.