Research Seminar: Regulation by Reputation? Intermediaries, Labor Abuses & International Migration

​​​The Growth Lab Research Seminar series is a weekly seminar that brings together researchers from across the academic spectrum who share an interest in growth and development. 
Location: Online Only/Zoom Speaker: A. Nilesh Fernando, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame About the seminar: Migrant workers and employers rely on intermediaries to facilitate labor market placements. If information frictions obscure their reputation, however, intermediaries may under-invest in placement quality. Using data on over 1.5 million Sri Lankan migrants to the Gulf region, Nilesh Fernando will examine the effects of an intermediary rating program that publicly revealed ratings two years after it was announced. Prior to the ratings being revealed, eligible under-performing agencies invest in the rating criteria and place migrants with less abusive employers who pay higher salaries. Results suggest that the threat of quality revelation induced agencies to prospectively screen employers.