Youth migration in Brazil: families and households labour force participation patterns

Ana Oliveira, CEDEPLAR/UFMG
Roberto L. Monte-Mor, Centro de Desenvolvimento e Planejamento Regional (CEDEPLAR)
Rodrigo Ferreira Simões, CEDEPLAR

Many studies of rural labour market in less developed countries indicate that a significant portion of rural youth employment occurs in nonfarm activities. This paper incorporates the rural nonfarm economy in the traditional rural-urban migration framework as a determinant of rural youth labour relocation. The rural nonfarm economy contributes significantly to rural earnings, and therefore to restrain rural migration, in lower income areas. The main objective is to extend the analysis of rural nonfarm employment to 2000, using data from the population census, examining the farm and nonfarm sector employment of members of rural families, as the combination of these activities determines their incomes. The analysis is extended beyond the simple urban-rural dichotomy, introducing an intermediate category. In Brazil, evidence points that more people are dividing their lives between areas designated urban and rural. I use a division distinguishing localities by population size, density, urbanization levels, commuting patterns and adjacency.