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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Kishida, Reina |
| Abstract: | This study examines how women’s labor migration affects their decision-making participation in household savings and how gender norms shape these outcomes. Using Indonesian data, analyses reveal contrasting effects based on community norms. Shift-share instrumental variables analysis shows that 5 years after migration, women from non-restrictive communities gain decision-making power in savings by more than 20%, while those from restrictive communities show limited or negative effects. Staggered difference-in-differences event studies, which reflect the self-selective nature of migration, suggest that women from restrictive communities experience a short-term increase in decision-making 3~7 years after migration timing, while women from non-restrictive regions do not necessarily increase power, possibly due to high initial levels. These findings underscore the role of migration selectivity and gender norms in determining migration’s potential for female empowerment. |
| Date: | 2026–02–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:tkjnx_v1 |
| By: | Arrighetti, Alessandro; Lasagni, Andrea; Tredicine, Luigi |
| Abstract: | Remittance behaviour reflects complex economic and social relationships linking migrants and their origin households, yet most empirical studies treat remittances as a unitary outcome without distinguishing between the decision to remit and the intensity of remitting. This paper develops and empirically tests a margin-specific framework that integrates the New Economics of Labor Migration (NELM) and Transnationalism theory to explain distinct dimensions of remittance behaviour. Using original survey data on migrants residing in Italy, the analysis distinguishes between the extensive margin - the activation of remittance behaviour - and the intensive margin - the degree of remittance commitment among remitters. Remittance intensity is operationalized as a multidimensional latent construct derived through Principal Component Analysis, capturing transfer magnitude, frequency and relative economic effort. To address potential selection bias, the intensive margin is estimated within a Heckman selection framework. The results show that the extensive margin is primarily driven by origin-household vulnerability and economic feasibility constraints, consistent with NELM. By contrast, remittance intensity is more strongly associated with transnational embeddedness, return orientation and competing commitments in the destination context. These findings demonstrate that remittance behaviour reflects a sequential and multidimensional process shaped by both contractual obligations and evolving transnational ties. |
| Keywords: | Remittances, Extensive Margin, Intensive Margin, New Economics of Labour Migration, Migration, Transnationalism |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:337409 |
| By: | Leander Andres; Stefan Bauernschuster; Gordon B. Dahl; Helmut Rainer; Simone Schüller |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the impact of birthright citizenship on youth crime. We leverage a reform which automatically granted birthright citizenship to eligible immigrant children born in Germany after January 1, 2000 and administrative crime data from three federal states. Immigrant youth who acquired citizenship at birth are substantially less likely to engage in criminal activity, with estimates indicating a 70% reduction. These results are particularly relevant in light of ongoing debates in the U.S. about abolishing birthright citizenship. Our findings suggest that inclusive citizenship policies can reduce crime and its associated costs, which in turn could strengthen social cohesion. |
| Keywords: | birthright citizenship, crime, immigration, integration |
| JEL: | D04 J15 K37 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12397 |
| By: | Dries Lens;; Kilian Van Looy;; Ive Marx ; |
| Abstract: | This study investigates whether temporary employment serves as a stepping stone or a trap for unemployed immigrants and native-born individuals. Using panel data from the Belgian Labour Force Survey and applying a propensity score matching approach, we compare the short-term labour market outcomes of unemployed individuals who enter temporary employment with those who remain unemployed. The findings reveal that accepting temporary work significantly improves employment prospects and increases the likelihood of transitioning to permanent positions, although it does not lead to higher wages. Immigrant job seekers derive similar benefits from temporary employment as their native-born counterparts. From a policy perspective, these results underscore the potential of temporary employment to facilitate the labour market integration of unemployed workers in rigid labour markets like Belgium. However, the findings also highlight disparities among immigrant groups. Insider immigrant groups appear better positioned to leverage temporary jobs as a stepping stone, while outsider groups face greater challenges in doing so. Moreover, temporary agency employment demonstrates a weaker stepping stone effect compared to fixed-term contracts, particularly for immigrant job seekers. Further research is needed to explore how these dynamics manifest in longer-term labour market outcomes. |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2502 |
| By: | Kilian Van Looy;; Julie Maes;; Jonas Wood;; Karel Neels; |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates ethnic differentials in entry into temporary agency work (TAW) with a focus on precarious segments, low-wage TAW and longer-term, low-wage TAW, during the early careers of migrants’ descendants. Using linked longitudinal microdata from the Flemish Migration, Integration, and Activation (MIA) panel (2005–2016) and discrete-time hazard models, we analyze quarterly labor market transitions of recent graduates over a five-year period. The results reveal pronounced disparities: descendants of Maghreb and Turkish origin are considerably more likely than ancestral natives to enter TAW, with nearly half experiencing at least one spell within four years of graduation. Ethnic differentials are greatest for low-wage TAW, underscoring their overrepresentation in precarious employment. Differences for longer-term, low-wage TAW are smaller and less consistent. Stepwise regression models indicate that human capital explains most of the observed disparities, especially for Maghreb and Turkish descendants. Employment history further accounts for an important part of the remaining gap, particularly for Southern European descendants. We only find minor differences between the 1.5- and second generation migrants’ descendants. The contributions of this study are threefold: (i) it provides one of the first empirical assessments of differential entry into (precarious) TAW by migration background during early careers; (ii) it moves beyond treating TAW as a homogeneous category by analyzing different types of TAW spells, conditional on wage and spell-length, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the ethnic differentiation of precariousness within TAW; and (iii) it explores how human capital and early employment history help account for these ethnic differentials, pointing to structural factors that underlie persistent labor market inequalities. With this study, we contributed to ongoing debates on whether TAW functions as a stepping stone or a trap by showing that migrants’ descendants face disproportionate exposure to its most precarious forms, which may reinforce early-career disadvantage despite offering labor market attachment. Strengthening school-to-work transitions, especially in relation to human capital, could help reduce early-career disadvantages for migrants’ descendants. Monitoring the use of TAW and supporting transitions into permanent employment may also help limit prolonged exposure to precarious jobs. |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2510 |
| By: | Dries Lens;; Ninke Mussche;; Ive Marx ; |
| Abstract: | The number of posted workers within Europe has seen impressive growth over recent years. Yet there remain gaps in our understanding of their mobility patterns and how these intersect with free movement migration. This article examines the extent to which the trajectories of posted workers exhibit signs of settlement migration. Our analysis is based on a unique dataset that connects microdata from Belgium’s posting declaration tool with national register and social security data. Our findings show that posting is highly circular and that not all of posting is for short term work. Posting is also “sticky†over time. Yet, even if there clearly is a permanent dimension to the posting of workers, only a very small share of workers settle after having had a posting experience. The situation of posted workers is one of “lasting temporariness†. We hypothesise why that is the case. |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hdl:wpaper:2504 |