@article{Ambler:316616,
      recid = {316616},
      author = {Ambler, Kate and Herskowitz, Sylvan and Maredia, Mywish  K.},
      title = {Rural Labor and Long Recall Loss},
      address = {2021-12-23},
      number = {1099-2021-3409},
      series = {2021-001},
      month = {Dec},
      year = {2021},
      abstract = {Commonly used data collection practices use annual recall  to capture individuals’ labor activities over a year.  However, long recall periods are likely to suffer from  distortions and loss, particularly when work patterns are  seasonal and informal. In a panel of rural households in  Malawi, we use a survey experiment to test the effect of  using long recall periods on the reported number of labor  activities, labor supply, and types of work relative to  those resulting from a set of shorter, quarterly  interviews. We document large losses from the longer recall  window, particularly on the extensive margin of labor  supply with reductions of over 20%. These losses are  greatest for periods furthest from the last survey round  and are especially large among individuals whose labor  supply is being reported for them, reaching as high as 50%  losses for some outcomes. The composition of households’  primary respondents, predominantly male and older, as well  as differential effects by age both suggest that use of  long recall may lead to meaningful biases by both age and  gender in resulting data.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/316616},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.316616},
}