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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Robert Kaestner; Ofer Malamud |
| Abstract: | This paper uses data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS) to examine the patterns of selection of male, Mexican migrants to the United States. We confirm previous findings that Mexican migrants are selected from the middle of the education distribution, but show that there is no evidence for selection of migrants on cognitive ability. We demonstrate that migrants are also selected from the middle of the observed skill distribution, as measured by predicted wages. However, controlling for proxies of the costs of migration, we find substantially less evidence of "intermediate selection" on observed skill. We find little evidence for selection on unobserved skill, with or without controls for the costs of migration. Finally, we show directly that the decision to migrate is highly correlated with differential returns to observable skill and the costs of migration. Overall, these findings are consistent with the predictions of the canonical model of migration. |
| JEL: | J24 J61 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15765&r=mig |
| By: | Michaelides, Marios |
| Abstract: | Previous research on migration has focused more on the effect of wage differences between the destination and the origin on migration and less on how non-pecuniary attachments workers have to their current location may affect their migration decisions. In this paper, we examine how the presence of a strong social network and desirable location amenities in the current location may deter individual migration across U.S. metropolitan areas. Our empirical results show that, controlling for wage and housing cost differences between metropolitan areas, workers with strong attachments to their current location are significantly less likely to move. Interestingly, the effects of a strong social network and desirable location amenities on individual migration decisions are more important than the effect of wage or housing cost differentials between the destination and the origin. |
| Keywords: | migration; worker mobility; mobility costs; location amenities; wages; housing costs |
| JEL: | J6 R3 J3 J01 R2 |
| Date: | 2009–12–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:20379&r=mig |
| By: | Rabe B (Institute for Social and Economic Research); Taylor M (Institute for Social and Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | Most previous empirical studies of individual migration choice analyze the reasons associated with out-migration from an origin location. In contrast, we model the migration decision within the context of potential destinations, using British panel data over the period 1991-2003. Contrary to earlier micro studies we show that regional differences in expected individual wages, employment opportunities, and house prices are important determinants of migration, thus confirming results of aggregate analyses. Moreover, we find that it is important to control for unobserved individual heterogeneity. After doing so, the effects on migration choice of individual unemployment and being a council tenant disappear. |
| Date: | 2010–02–22 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ese:iserwp:2010-05&r=mig |
| By: | Lisa Chauvet (DIAL, IRD, Paris); Flore Gubert (DIAL, IRD, Paris); Sandrine Mesplé-Somps (DIAL, IRD, Paris) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the respective impact of aid, remittances and medical brain drain on child mortality using panel and cross-country quintile-level data on respectively 84 and 46 developing countries. Our results show that remittances reduce child mortality and that the impact of health aid is non-linear, suggesting that health aid is more effective in the poorest countries. By contrast, medical brain drain is found to have a harmful impact on child mortality. Last, remittances seem to be more effective in reducing mortality for children belonging to the richest households, whereas neither propoor nor anti-poor effect is found for health aid.________________________________ Cet article examine l’impact respectif de l’aide, des transferts et du départ en migration du personnel médical sur la mortalité infantile à partir de données en panel et de données en coupe par quintile portant sur respectivement 84 et 46 pays en développement. Nos résultats suggèrent que les transferts contribuent à réduire la mortalité infantile et que l’impact de l’aide est non-linéaire, l’aide étant plus efficace dans les pays les plus pauvres. En revanche, le départ en migration du personnel médical paraît s’accompagner d’une augmentation des taux de mortalité infantile. Enfin, les analyses que nous avons conduites à partir de données par quintile montrent que l’impact des transferts sur la réduction de la mortalité infantile est plus fort pour les ménages les plus riches, tandis que l’impact de l’aide n’est ni pro-pauvres, ni pro-riches. |
| Keywords: | Child Mortality, Remittances, International Migration, Foreign Aid, Low and Middle Income Countries, Mortalité infantile, Transferts, Migration internationale, Aide, Pays à revenu faible et intermédiaire. |
| JEL: | I12 F22 F35 |
| Date: | 2009–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dia:wpaper:dt200911&r=mig |
| By: | Cristina Cattaneo (Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei and University of Sussex) |
| Abstract: | The present paper analyses the expenditure behavior of Albanian families. The objective is to cast some light upon the relationship between education expenditure and the volume of remittances, sent from abroad by household members. To assess the existence of an education enhancing effect of remittances, an Engel curve framework is employed, where heterogeneity in interests or in bargaining power among the members within the households is assumed. The empirical estimation accounts for the censored nature of the education expenditure through using Heckman two-step as well as a semiparametric model for sample selection. Finally, quintile regression analysis is employed to investigate whether migrants’ remittances have a differentiated effect on various quantiles of the conditional distribution of the education consumption. |
| Keywords: | Migrant Remittances, Engel Curves, Education expenditure |
| JEL: | R J |
| Date: | 2010–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fem:femwpa:2010.1&r=mig |
| By: | William R. Kerr; William F. Lincoln |
| Abstract: | This study evaluates the impact of high-skilled immigrants on US technology formation. We use reduced-form specifications that exploit large changes in the H-1B visa program. Higher H-1B admissions increase immigrant science and engineering (SE) employment and patenting by inventors with Indian and Chinese names in cities and firms dependent upon the program relative to their peers. Most specifications find limited effects for native SE employment or patenting. We are able to rule out displacement effects, and small crowding-in effects may exist. Total SE employment and invention increases with higher admissions primarily through direct contributions of immigrants. |
| JEL: | F15 F22 J44 J61 O31 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15768&r=mig |
| By: | Rabby, Faisal (Missouri State University); Rodgers III, William M. (Rutgers University) |
| Abstract: | Using a difference-in-differences framework, this paper estimates the impact that Britain's July 2005 bombings had on the labor market outcomes of UK residents who are either Muslim by religious affiliation or whose nativity profiles are similar to the terrorists. We find a 10 percentage point decrease in the employment of very young Muslim men relative to non-Muslim immigrants after the London bombings. The drop in employment is accompanied by consistent declines in real earnings and hours worked. A weak association between the 9-11 terrorist attacks and a drop in the employment of very young male immigrants from Muslim-majority countries is also found. The terrorist events had little impact on the employment of older men. |
| Keywords: | Muslim, ethnic minority, minorities, 9/11, employment, London bombings |
| JEL: | J15 J23 J61 J71 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4763&r=mig |
| By: | Alberto F. Alesina; Yann Algan; Pierre Cahuc; Paola Giuliano |
| Abstract: | Flexible labor markets require geographically mobile workers to be efficient. Otherwise, firms can take advantage of the immobility of workers and extract monopsony rents. In cultures with strong family ties, moving away from home is costly. Thus, individuals with strong family ties rationally choose regulated labor markets to avoid moving and limiting the monopsony power of firms, even though regulation generates lower employment and income. Empirically, we do find that individuals who inherit stronger family ties are less mobile, have lower wages, are less often employed and support more stringent labor market regulations. There are also positive cross-country correlations between the strength of family ties and labor market rigidities. Finally, we find positive correlations between labor market rigidities at the beginning of the twenty first century and family values prevailing before World War II, which suggests that labor market regulations have deep cultural roots. |
| JEL: | J2 K2 |
| Date: | 2010–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:15747&r=mig |
| By: | Stichnoth, Holger |
| Abstract: | Using data from the 1997 and 2002 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel and from official statistics, I study whether natives are less supportive of state help for the unemployed in regions where the share of foreigners among the unemployed is high. Unlike previous studies, I use individual-level panel data, which allows a more convincing identification of a causal effect. I find that the negative bivariate association is mainly driven by observed individual differences such as East German origin or income. While there remains some evidence of a negative association even after adjusting for individual differences (including time-invariant unobserved differences), the association is weak compared to the association with other variables such as income, self-employment, or East German origin. -- |
| Keywords: | redistribution,social security,welfare state,immigration,ethnic diversity,Germany,cluster-robust standard errors,two-way clustering |
| JEL: | H53 H55 I38 J15 J61 |
| Date: | 2010 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:zewdip:10008&r=mig |