{
  "title": "Guatemala: Selected Issues Paper",
  "publication": "IMF Staff Country Reports, June 8, 2018",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2018/06/08/guatemala-selected-issues-paper-45956",
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  "summary": "This Selected Issues paper analyzes remittances and households’ behavior in Guatemala. Remittances are a structural feature of the Guatemala economy. In 2017, remittance flows accounted for over 11 percent of GDP and benefitted over 1.5 million of Guatemalan households.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Key findings on remittances and household behavior",
      "content": "- Remittances are described as a structural feature of the Guatemala economy.\n- In 2017, remittance flows accounted for over 11 percent of GDP.\n- Remittances benefitted over 1.5 million of Guatemalan households.\n- The paper estimates effects of remittances on labor supply and finds no evidence of remittance-induced work disincentives."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Labor supply elasticity results",
      "content": "- Labor supply for members of remittance-receiving households is relatively more elastic compared with non-remittance-receiving households.\n- Most pronounced effect observed for the 41-65 age group.\n- Estimated elasticities:\n  - A one percent increase in weekly wages leads to a 0.5 percent increase in weekly hours worked for members of remittance-receiving households.\n  - A one percent increase in weekly wages leads to a 0.2 percent increase in weekly hours worked for members of non-remittance-receiving households."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Scope and themes covered",
      "content": "- Subject areas listed: Balance of payments, Corruption, Crime, Income inequality, Inflation, National accounts, Personal income, Prices, Remittances.\n- Keywords include: Central America, Corruption, CR, exchange rate depreciation, fixed capital capital formation, food inflation, Global, Income inequality, Inflation, inflation expectation, investment residual, ISCR, Personal income, reform proposal, remittance, Remittances, Western Hemisphere.\n\nGuatemala: Selected Issues Paper, IMF Staff Country Reports (June 8, 2018).\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Country Report\n  - Country Report (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Country Report (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}"
    }
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    "Published: June 8, 2018",
    "Series: IMF Staff Country Reports",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781484360125.002",
    "In 2017, remittance flows accounted for over 11 percent of GDP.",
    "The paper estimates effects of remittances on labor supply and finds no evidence of remittance-induced work disincentives.",
    "Labor supply for members of remittance-receiving households is relatively more elastic compared with non-remittance-receiving households.",
    "Most pronounced effect observed for the 41-65 age group.",
    "Estimated elasticities:",
    "Subject areas listed: Balance of payments, Corruption, Crime, Income inequality, Inflation, National accounts, Personal income, Prices, Remittances.",
    "Keywords include: Central America, Corruption, CR, exchange rate depreciation, fixed capital capital formation, food inflation, Global, Income inequality, Inflation, inflation expectation, investment residual, ISCR, Personal income, reform proposal, remittance, Remittances, Western Hemisphere.",
    "**Country Report**"
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