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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Ho, Christine (School of Economics, Singapore Management University); Wang, Yutao (School of Economics, Singapore Management University); Zuo, Sharon Xuejing (Fudan University) |
| Abstract: | Daughters may be less likely to migrate with parents because they tend to have more sib-lings in societies with strong son preference. Exploiting exogenous variation in twinning as an instrument, we find that a one unit increase in family size decreases the probability that a daughter migrates by 12.5 percentage points but has negligible effects on sons in China. The negative associations for daughters are stronger when migration restrictions are more stringent. The results are indicative of gendered family size trade-offs in a novel aspect of parental in-vestment and highlight the need to relax migrant children’s education constraints. |
| Keywords: | Child Migration; Family Size Trade-offs; Son Preference; Parental Investment |
| JEL: | D13 J13 J16 O15 |
| Date: | 2024–01–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:smuesw:2024_001&r= |
| By: | Elizabeth U. Cascio; Ethan G. Lewis; Chengguo Zhang |
| Abstract: | Two million Mexicans were granted lawful permanent residency in the U.S. under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). We find that occupation and program use variables in a prominent proxy for legal status poorly detect this event. A decade after legalization, the share of Mexicans who are likely legal according to these variables shows little absolute change in survey data, with estimates ruling out increases of three and eight percentage points relative to comparison groups of Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Blacks, respectively. In contrast, an actual measure of status, citizenship, does rise in line with administrative facts. |
| JEL: | H53 J15 J21 J61 J62 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32632&r= |
| By: | Nicole Black (Monash University); Johannes S. Kunz (Monash University) |
| Abstract: | Language proficiency is a crucial skill for immigrants that influences their social integration and their children’s development. This study examines the intergenerational effects of limited English proficiency (LEP) on children’s health and health care utilisation. We mitigate potential selection issues arising from insurance coverage by examining Australian-born children who are all covered under a universal public health insurance scheme. We use Australian population Census and longitudinal survey data linked to administrative health care records, and variation in parent’s language acquisition, based on their age at arrival into Australia. We find that parental LEP has a strong and positive effect on children’s use of general practitioners, but no effect on their use of other healthcare services, or on their physical or mental health. We explore several possible supply- and demand-side explanations. |
| Keywords: | Language Proficiency, Health Outcomes, Second-Generation, Parenting Styles, Social Networks |
| JEL: | H40 I12 I20 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2024-11&r= |
| By: | Elizabeth U. Cascio; Paul Cornell; Ethan G. Lewis |
| Abstract: | We estimate the effects of permanent legal status on the health of children born to immigrants in the United States using variation from the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Our empirical approach compares trends in birth outcomes for foreign-born Mexican mothers across counties with different application rates under IRCA’s large-scale legalization programs. Maternal legalization raised birthweight. Effects arose immediately after the application process began – five years before affected women became Medicaid-eligible – suggesting causal mechanisms besides improved access to early prenatal care. Changes in the composition of births, stemming from changes in fertility and family reunification, contribute to but far from fully explain the birthweight impacts. The more likely mechanisms were instead the increases in family income and reductions in stress that came from gaining legal status. |
| JEL: | I13 I14 I18 J15 J61 K37 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32635&r= |
| By: | Salvatore Carrozzo; Alessandra Venturini; Elisabetta Lodigiani |
| Abstract: | The consumption of cultural goods can play a crucial role in the social and economic integration of immigrants into their destination country. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the cultural national program, IoStudio, designed to enhance the consumption of cultural goods among upper secondary students in Italy, on post-secondary investment in education and early labor market conditions among young immigrants. Using data from a unique survey conducted by the Institute for Multiethnic Studies (ISMU) on a repre-sentative sample of the entire immigrant population in the Italian Lombardy region and employing a difference-in-differences estimator, we find that the IoStudio policy has pos-itive effects on investment in post-secondary education. Additionally, young foreigners exposed to the policy exhibit higher earnings, at least in the short run, when they enter the labour market. We claim that cultural consumption by immigrants is a relevant concern, deserving close attention in terms of increasing social capital and labour market inclusion. |
| JEL: | Z11 J61 J62 I26 |
| Date: | 2024–07–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:dpaper:69&r= |
| By: | Ina Ganguli; Jennifer R. Withrow |
| Abstract: | On February 5, 1917, the United States passed the Immigration Act of 1917, which included a test for all migrants arriving to the U.S. to prove they were literate. The Literacy Test was one of the first and few times the U.S. used a broad ‘skill-based’ immigration policy in an attempt to limit migration. We assess whether the Immigration Act had any measurable impacts on immigration to the U.S. Using a differences-in-differences approach and digitized data from Ellis Island ship manifests from directly before and after the Act’s passage and enactment, we show that the Act significantly altered selection into migration to the U.S. from Europe through Ellis Island, reducing migration from low literacy countries by 70 percent compared to arrivals from high-literacy countries. We also discuss other provisions of the Act that had the potential to influence the gender composition of arrivals. We show that women – and in particular single women – were less likely to arrive after its passage. Our analysis suggests that even during this period of lower immigration due to WWI and rising literacy levels, the 1917 Act was a consequential moment in immigration history in the United States. |
| JEL: | F22 J15 J61 N32 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:32624&r= |
| By: | Batista, Catia (Nova School of Business and Economics); Costa, David M (Nova School of Business and Economics); Freitas, Pedro (Nova School of Business and Economics); Lima, Gonçalo (European University Institute); Reis, Ana B (Nova School of Business and Economics) |
| Abstract: | Study abroad migration is the fastest growing international migration flow. However, the college completion rates of students from low-income countries are often modest in OECD countries, raising the hypothesis that these migrants are poorly informed about the costs and benefits of their decision. Our work tests this hypothesis by running a lab-in-the-field experiment where graduating high school students in Cape Verde are faced with incentivized decisions to apply for college studies abroad. Our results show that potential migrants react strongly to information about the availability of financial support and about college completion rates. Since subjects' prior beliefs on availability of financial support are overestimated, it is likely that study migrants need to shift their time from study to work after uninformed migration, which likely harms their scholar performance. Policies that inform potential migrants of actual study funding possibilities should decrease study migration flows but are likely to improve successful graduation. |
| Keywords: | international study migration, lab-in-the-field experiment, education, information, uncertainty |
| JEL: | O15 F22 J61 C91 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17096&r= |
| By: | Simone Maxand; Hend Sallam |
| Abstract: | We investigate the impact of immigration on public budgets using administrative data from German districts (Kreise). While previous literature suggests that the fiscal benefits of migration depend on government spending responses to immigration, the local-level effects in Germany remain relatively unexplored. Our study analyzes how immigration influences public spending, the provision of public goods, and public revenues from 2010 to 2019. Employing the post-double selection LASSO method for model identification and instrument generation, our results suggest that an increase in the foreign population proportion at the district level does not significantly affect public investment spending or collected tax revenues. Overall, along with 2011 results at the community level (Gemeinde), this research discusses the importance of distinguishing between different local levels, migration groups, and expenditure categories, when studying the gains and burdens of immigration in Germany. |
| Keywords: | immigration, size of the government, welfare state, local budgets, spatial economy, public revenues, public spending |
| JEL: | H53 I38 H70 H72 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11162&r= |
| By: | Anand Chopra; Ronit Mukherji |
| Abstract: | This paper illustrates the role of low-skilled immigrants' location choice as a channel through which local labour markets adjust to automation. We employ a shift-share instrumental variable approach to demonstrate that low-skilled immigrants are more mobile than low-skilled native born in response to robot exposure. Low-skilled immigrants are less likely to enter and more likely to exit from highly robot-exposed regions. Immigrants' location decisions attenuate wage losses due to robot exposure for low-skilled natives. Low-skilled native workers experience a 0.07 percentage point smaller decline in wages comparing commuting zones at the 50th and 25th percentiles of low-skilled immigrant shares. |
| Keywords: | Automation, Geographic labour mobility, Immigrants, Technology |
| JEL: | J15 J23 J31 J61 O33 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–06–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:liv:livedp:202409&r= |
| By: | Parisa Ghasemi (University of Coimbra, Faculty of Economics); Paulino Teixeira (University of Coimbra, Centre for Business and Economics and Faculty of Economics); Carlos Carreira (University of Coimbra, Centre for Business and Economics and Faculty of Economics) |
| Abstract: | In this study, we investigate the impact of the share of the foreign labor force on the wage of native workers in Portugal between 2010 and 2019 using linked employer-employee data from Quadros de Pessoal. By leveraging job characteristics from the O*NET skill taxonomy, we create more homogeneous skill groups, enabling a precise analysis of immigration's impact on specific skill sets. The empirical analysis, focusing on occupation-experience groups, reveals a positive association between native wages and immigrant shares. In contrast, when groups are based on education-experience, the relationship appears negative. These contradictory findings suggest that the impact of immigration on native wages varies significantly depending on how labor markets are segmented. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates a positive and statistically significant effect on native wages in high-skilled occupations, while native wages in low-skilled occupations are negatively affected due to increased competition. Our findings highlight the importance of considering occupation classification over simple education levels and suggest that diverse results in existing literature may be due to sample averaging. |
| Keywords: | Immigration, native wages, native-immigrants’ complementarities |
| JEL: | J24 J31 J61 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gmf:papers:2024-02&r= |
| By: | Valerie Preston; John Shields; Valerie Pruegger; Mireille Paquet; Sivakamy Thayaalan; Gabriel Eidelman; Spencer Neufeld; Kass Forman (University of Toronto) |
| Abstract: | As of June 2024, Canada’s population exceeded 41 million when including temporary foreign workers. Less than two years ago, the federal government announced that Canada would aim to welcome 500, 000 permanent residents per year by 2025, a growth in population that excluded temporary foreign workers, asylum seekers, and others. The vast majority of these new residents will reside in cities resulting in a rising demand for services to support and integrate newcomers. While many of the settlement services required fall within the purview of local government, municipalities do not enjoy any formal powers related to immigration, nor the funds to handle these increased pressures. The ninth report in the Who Does What series from the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) and the Urban Policy Lab examines the role that municipalities play in immigration and their ability to fund, manage, and deliver services and implement policies to respond to new arrivals. Valerie Preston and John Shields show how non-governmental organizations and municipalities support international migrants, the complex links between them and the other orders of government, and the tensions and challenges in these relationships, using examples from Ontario. Valerie Pruegger explores the journey to get a municipal immigration policy approved by Calgary City Council, how it was subsequently implemented, and the various barriers encountered along the way. She identifies the strategies that were successful in overcoming these challenges. Mireille Paquet and Sivakamy Thayaalan examine what is needed to help municipalities handle the situation of residents who live with precarious immigration status or without any immigration status. They argue that municipalities need to have a role in the governance of immigration in Canada. |
| Keywords: | Canada, municipalities, immigration, intergovernmental relations, newcomers, precarity |
| JEL: | J15 J18 H70 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mfg:mfgwdw:9&r= |
| By: | Zhihui Li (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences); Chao Li (University of Auckland); John Gibson (University of Waikato); Xiangzheng Deng (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences) |
| Abstract: | China has experienced unprecedented largescale internal migration since the late 1970s. We analyse spatiotemporal changes in migration for 284 prefectural-level cities in China using the 2000, 2010 and 2020 censuses. These cities have over 90% of China's population. Attractiveness of cities varies with amenities, so we use econometric models to identify city-level and province-level economic characteristics and social and natural amenities that drive net migration. Inter-city migration in China is still growing rapidly, with striking regional disparities. China's three urban mega-regions (Beijing-Tianjin, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta) received most migrants over these two decades, with many coastal and tier-2 cities, especially inland provincial capital cities, emerging as new destinations since 2010. Conversely, inland lower-tier cities have experienced large population losses, especially in Northeast China recently. The importance of amenities in affecting migration patterns differs between all sample cities and 35 major cities, and changes over time. Employment opportunities, and higher wages and development levels still attract migrants, but migrants trade off levels versus growth (source areas are poorer but faster growing than destinations). Booming housing markets have not pushed migrants away. Both city and province fiscal pressures have negative impacts on the net migration rate, while province-level fiscal decentralization enhances attractiveness. Cities with better public transportation services and more pleasant climate are more attractive to migrants. These factors matter less for the major cities, apart from economic opportunities and transportation services. Air quality and province-level economic development significantly contribute to differences in net migration rates among the major cities. Findings from this study can help policymakers to formulate governance measures for sustainable city development during the largest rural-to-urban population flow in human history. |
| Keywords: | inter-city migration;net migration rate;migration patterns;urban amenities;China |
| JEL: | R12 |
| Date: | 2024–07–23 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wai:econwp:24/05&r= |
| By: | Martin Guzi; Maciej Duszczyk; Peter Huber; Ulrike Huemer; Marcela Veselková |
| Abstract: | The paper provides an overview of the situation of Ukrainian refugees in the labour markets of Austria, Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia, emphasizing the initiatives aimed at facilitating their integration. Refugees face challenges in securing employment adequate to their skills due to language barriers, limited capacity in childcare services, strict entry conditions for skilled occupations, and uncertainty surrounding their refugee status. The chapter concludes with recommendations for enhancing the labour market integration of refugees. |
| JEL: | E24 F22 J41 |
| Date: | 2024–07–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cel:dpaper:68&r= |
| By: | Andrea Ramazzotti (Università di Napoli Federico II and CSEF) |
| Abstract: | Should minimum wages adjust to local productivity? Italy’s sectoral collective agreements make no adjustment, as they establish national wage floors irrespective of regional variation in income or cost of living. While some favour its equalizing action, many have argued that this approach causes inefficiencies that include low migration to more productive areas and high structural unemployment in less productive ones. This paper addresses these concerns by studying the spatial equalization of minimum wages in 1972, when the system was first introduced, using an original dataset of labour market variables covering the period 1962-1981. First, the paper presents an augmented gravity model of internal migration showing that spatial differentials in nominal minimum wages were a strong pull factors for both short- and long-distance migration before the reform, but not afterwards. Then, discussing potential mechanisms, the paper shows that the decrease in internal migration during the 1970s was associated with the inception of the spatial mismatches that characterize Italy’s labour markets to this day. |
| Keywords: | Wage Differentials, Internal Migration, Labor Economic History. |
| JEL: | J31 J61 N34 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–06–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sef:csefwp:716&r= |