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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Brian K. Bucks; Jesse Bricker |
| Abstract: | This paper uses data from the 2007-09 Survey of Consumer Finances panel to examine U.S. households' decisions to move and the role of negative home equity and economic shocks, such as job loss, in these decisions. Even over this period of steep house price declines and sharp recession, we find that most moves were prompted by standard reasons. The recession's effects are nonetheless apparent in the notable fraction of homeowners who moved involuntarily due to, for example, foreclosure. Many involuntary moves appear to stem a combination of negative home equity and adverse economic shocks rather than negative equity alone. Homeowners with both negative equity and economic shocks were substantially more likely to have moved between 2007 and 2009 and to have moved involuntarily. The findings suggest that, analogous to the double-trigger theory of default, the relationship between negative equity and household mobility varies with households' exposure to adverse shocks. |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedgfe:2013-53&r=mig |
| By: | Loschmann, Craig (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG); Siegel, Melissa (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the influence of vulnerability on migration intentions within the context of Afghanistan. While it is commonplace to conceptualize migration as being driven by certain economic-related factors, it is reasonable to assume that in an insecure setting like Afghanistan the difference between voluntary and involuntary movement is not easily distinguishable, making it necessary to approach the subject through a spectrum which does not presuppose migration is strictly economic in nature. With this in mind, we consider the issue through the broader lens of household vulnerability, a measure which incorporates a range of socio-economic factors allowing for a more comprehensive analysis. We first construct a profile of household vulnerability through individual indicators of deprivation along four principle dimensions, and then perform a regression analysis estimating the influence on migration intentions. Our results provide clear evidence that vulnerable households have a lower likelihood of concrete plans to migrate. This result supports the suggestion that it is not the "poorest of the poor", or in our case the "most vulnerable of the vulnerable" who aspire to move, indicating households have a realistic understanding of their capabilities taking into consideration the inherent costs and risks associated with cross-border movement. |
| Keywords: | I32, O15 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:unumer:2013038&r=mig |
| By: | Cerveny, J.; Ours, J.C. van (Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research) |
| Abstract: | Abstract: This paper examines whether unemployment of non-western immigrant workers in the Netherlands was disproportionally affected by the Great Recession. We analyze unemployment data covering the period November 2007 to February 2013 finding that the Great Recession affected unemployment rates of non-western immigrant workers in absolute terms more than unemployment rates of native workers. However, in relative terms there is not much of a difference. We also find that the sensitivity of individual job finding rates to the aggregate state of the labor market does not differ between natives and non-western immigrants. In combination our findings suggest that the Great Recession did not have a different impact on the unemployment of non-westerns immigrants and native Dutch. |
| Keywords: | Great Recession;unemployment;non-western immigrants. |
| JEL: | J15 J64 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:kubcen:2013049&r=mig |
| By: | Jean-Louis Arcand (GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES - GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES - GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES); Linguère Mously MBAYE (CERDI - Centre d'études et de recherches sur le developpement international - CNRS : UMR6587 - Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I) |
| Abstract: | This paper aims to provide the first evidence concerning the relationship between time and risk preferences and illegal migration in an African context. Based upon our theoretical model and using a unique data set on potential migrants collected in urban Senegal, we evaluate a measure of time and risk preferences through the individual's intertemporal discount rate and coefficient of absolute risk aversion. Remarkably, our results show that these individual preferences matter in the willingness to migrate illegally and to pay a smuggler. |
| Keywords: | Illegal migration; Discount rate; Risk aversion; Africa; Senegal |
| Date: | 2013–08–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:halshs-00855937&r=mig |
| By: | David McKenzie (Development Research Group, The World Bank); Emily Beam (Department of Economics, National University of Singapore); Dean Yang (Economics Department, University of Michigan) |
| Abstract: | Significant income gains from migrating from poorer to richer countries have motivated unilateral (source-country) policies facilitating labor emigration. However, their effectiveness is unknown. We conducted a large-scale randomized experiment in the Philippines testing the impact of unilaterally facilitating international labor migration. Our most intensive treatment doubled the rate of job offers but had no identifiable effect on international labor migration. Even the highest overseas job-search rate we induced (22%) falls far short of the share initially expressing interest in migrating (34%). We conclude that unilateral migration facilitation will at most induce a trickle, not a flood, of additional emigration. |
| Keywords: | International migration, passport costs, barriers to migration, unilateral migration policy, imperfect information, job-matching, field experiment, Philippines |
| JEL: | O15 F22 O15 C93 |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:1319&r=mig |
| By: | Bilgili, Özge (UNU-MERIT / MGSoG) |
| Abstract: | In a time of economic downturn and the recession in Europe, a migrant's labour market position is even more precarious, and may influence their economic homeland engagement. Based on the IS Academy, Migration and Development: A World in Motion Project survey data , I focus on Afghan, Burundian, Ethiopian and Moroccan first generation migrants in the Netherlands, and explore how their economic integration is related to different aspects of their economic remittances behaviour. The main objectives of this paper can be summarized as follows: 1) to describe migrants' labour market performance; 2) to designate migrants' economic remittances behaviour with a focus on propensity to remit, amount of remittances and reason for remitting; and 3) to discuss how labour market performance relates to migrants' economic homeland engagement. In line with the resource dependent transnationalism argument, this paper concludes that economic integration is positively linked to propensity to remit and the amount of remittances sent. Moreover, I show that especially those with a secure employment status are more likely to remit, remit more and remit more for investment purposes rather than consumption. The paper starts out with a literature review on economic transnationalism and a description of the hypotheses. Next, the data and methods used are explained in detail. Subsequently, the descriptive and analytical results of the paper are presented, followed by a concluding section. |
| Keywords: | migrants in the Netherlands, economic remittances, economic integration, transnationalism |
| JEL: | F22 J15 J61 O15 |
| Date: | 2013 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dgr:unumer:2013037&r=mig |
| By: | Piracha, Matloob (University of Kent); Randazzo, Teresa (University of Kent); Vadean, Florin (University of Kent) |
| Abstract: | This paper analyses the role of remittances and migration on the occupational outcomes of the household members left behind in Tajikistan. Using the control function approach, we show that, contrary to some existing evidence, there is no “dependency” effect of remittances. Our results show that remittances received by households in Tajikistan have an important contribution to generate employment opportunities for those remaining in the country. This is likely to have a positive impact on the growth and development in Tajikistan. The results obtained are likely to have policy implications for other developing countries as well. |
| Keywords: | remittances, occupational choice, control function approach, Tajikistan |
| JEL: | F22 J24 |
| Date: | 2013–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7582&r=mig |
| By: | Laura Jaitman; Stephen Machin |
| Abstract: | We study a high profile public policy question on immigration, namely the link between crime and immigration, presenting new evidence from England and Wales in the 2000s. For studying immigration impacts, this period is of considerable interest as the composition of migration altered dramatically with the accession of Eastern European countries (the A8) to the European Union in 2004. As we show, this has important implications for ensuring a causal impact of immigration can be identified. When we are able to implement a credible research design with statistical power, we find no evidence of an average causal impact of immigration on criminal behavior, nor do we when we consider A8 and non-A8 immigration separately. We also study London by itself as the immigration changes in the capital city were very dramatic. Again, we find no causal impact of immigration on crime from our spatial econometric analysis and also present evidence from unique data on arrests of natives and immigrants which shows no immigrant differences in the likelihood of being arrested. |
| Keywords: | Crime, Immigration, Enclaves, A8. |
| JEL: | F22 K42 |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1238&r=mig |
| By: | David Green; Yoshihiko Kadoya |
| Abstract: | Japan, like most of the developed world, faces potentially extreme demographic shortfalls brought on by a rapidly aging society with a long life expectancy and low birthrate. Where other western countries have utilized greater levels of immigration to help fight these tendencies, immigration levels in Japan are comparatively much lower. Increasing immigration to Japan is one suggested solution to the demographic problem, yet research examining public opinion on higher levels of immigration in Japan is surprisingly rare. Rather, public opposition to immigration is often unquestioningly taken as a given. This paper, utilizing nationally-representative data from the Japan General Social Survey, digs deeper into public opinion on immigration at the national and regional levels, considering factors that can influence respondentsf perceptions. In addition to some regional variation, we find that English conversation ability is most strongly associated with favorable perceptions of immigrants in Japan. |
| Date: | 2013–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dpr:wpaper:0883&r=mig |