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    • Question

      The Harris-Todaro model generates the “Todaro

      paradox,” which states that:
      A Increasing urban wages to reduce poverty actually increases rural-urban migration and urban unemployment, worsening the urban unemployment problem Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      B Creating more urban jobs always reduces urban unemployment by absorbing the rural labour surplus Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      C Rural development policies are always inferior to urban employment guarantee schemes Correct Answer Incorrect Answer
      D The equilibrium migration rate is zero when urban unemployment is sufficiently high Correct Answer Incorrect Answer

      Solution

      Mechanism: If the government creates new urban jobs → probability of urban employment rises → expected urban wage rises → more rural-to-urban migration is induced. If the migration response exceeds new jobs created, net urban unemployment INCREASES. Policy implication: urban job creation alone may be counterproductive. Rural development (raising rural wages/productivity) is needed to reduce the migration incentive.

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