Migration Motives and Employment Outcomes of Ghanaian Migrants: The Role of Skills, Work Experience and Gender
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Neoclassical economic theories suggest that migration is driven by economic development and regional wage disparities, with individuals making rational cost–benefit decisions. This paper adds to the empirical discussion by highlighting the importance of factors such as gender, prior migration work experience, and skills in shaping migration motives and employment prospects. Analysing data from the seventh round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS7), the findings show that men are more likely to migrate for economic reasons or to pursue education, while women often migrate for social reasons, such as marriage or family reunification. The regression estimates show that highly skilled migrants and those with prior migration work experience are less inclined to migrate for education or job-seeking purposes. While skills significantly increase the likelihood of employment among migrants, experience tends to have the opposite effect. The paper also discusses the policy implications of these findings.
Source: Global Social Welfare
Authors: Emmanuel Orkoh, Phillip Frederick Blaauw
Institutions: North-West University, Nordic Africa Institute
Language: English
Topic: Migration and Labor Dynamics
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,290
OpenAlex ID: W4407069131