How does skills mismatch affect remittances? A study of Filipino migrant workers

In this paper, unit record data on Filipino migrants are used to analyse the issue of skills mismatch, its prevalence and its impact on remittances sent back home. Results obtained using instrumental variable techniques reveal that significant proportions of highly educated Filipino workers are employed in low-skilled jobs overseas, with systematic variation by gender and by country of work. We find that skills mismatch impacts significantly on the migrant’s remittance behaviour, with effects that are differentiated between genders. Specifically, where there is mismatch in the migrant’s educational attainment and the migrant’s job requirement, we find significant reductions in remittances for men but not for women.