nep-mig New Economics Papers
on Economics of Human Migration
Issue of 2010‒07‒10
six papers chosen by
Yuji Tamura
Australian National University

  1. America's settling down: How Better Jobs and Falling Immigration led to a Rise in Marriage, 1880 – 1930 By Tomas Cvrcek
  2. Does Immigration Hurt Low Income Workers?: Immigration and Real Wage Income below the 50th Percentile, Sweden 1993-2003 By Korpi, Martin; Abbasoglu Özgören, Ayse
  3. Networks Effects in International Migration : Education versus Gender By Michel BEINE; Sara SALOMONE
  4. Assimilation in a New Context: Educational Attainment of the Immigrant Second Generation in Germany By Luthra R
  5. Testing the Validity of the Neoclassical Migration Model: Overall and Age-Group Specific Estimation Results for German Spatial Planning Regions By Mitze, Timo; Reinkowski, Janina
  6. The effect of macroeconomic fluctuations on the inflows and outflows of migrants in Spain By Aitor Lacuesta; Sergio Puente

  1. By: Tomas Cvrcek
    Abstract: The growing education and employment of women are usually cited as crucial forces behind the decline of marriage since 1960. However, both trends were already present between 1900 and 1960, during which time marriage became increasingly widespread. This early period differed from the post-1960 decades due to two factors primarily affecting men, one economic and one demographic. First, men’s improving labor market prospects made them more attractive as marriage partners to women. Second, immigration had a dynamic effect on partner search costs. Its short-run effect was to fragment the marriage market, making it harder to find a partner of one’s preferred ethnic and cultural background. The high search costs led to less marriage and later marriage in the 1890s and 1900s. As immigration declined, the long-run effect was for immigrants and their descendants to gradually integrate with American society. This reduced search costs and increased the marriage rate. The immigration primarily affected the whites’ marriage market which is why the changes in marital behavior are much more pronounced among this group than among blacks.
    JEL: J12 J62 N3
    Date: 2010–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16161&r=mig
  2. By: Korpi, Martin (Institute for Futures Studies); Abbasoglu Özgören, Ayse (Institute for Futures Studies)
    Abstract: <p> This paper addresses potential effects of immigration on wage income of predominantly low income Swedish born workers. Using unique individual full population panel data for two time-periods, 1993- 1999 and 1997-2003, we estimate two fixed effect models controlling for both individual and local labor market characteristics as well as individual and regional fixed effects. The models are tested for a range of population sub-groups, the compulsory and upper secondary educated and workers within certain shares of the local income distribution (using different below median percentile levels as population cut-off points). The estimates show mainly a positive relationship between increasing shares of foreign born and wage income of Swedish born workers. <p>
    Keywords: International migration; Local labor markets; Wage levels; labour supply
    JEL: F22 J22 J31 J61
    Date: 2010–07–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:ifswps:2010_006&r=mig
  3. By: Michel BEINE (CREA,University of Luxembourg, IRES and CES-Ifo); Sara SALOMONE (IRES, UniversitŽ catholique de Louvain and Tor Vergata University)
    Abstract: This paper analyses the impact of networks on the structure of international migration flows to OECD countries. In particular, we look at whether diaspora effects are different across education levels and gender. Using new data allowing to include both dimensions, we are able to analyze the respective impact of networks on the proportion of each category of migrant. Therefore, unlike the preceding literature on macro determinants of international migration, we can identify the factors that influence the selection in terms skills and in terms of gender. We find that network effects vary by education level but not by gender.
    Keywords: Migration,Human capital, network/diaspora externalities, Gender
    JEL: F22 O15
    Date: 2010–05–26
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ctl:louvir:2010022&r=mig
  4. By: Luthra R (Institute for Social and Economic Research)
    Abstract: This paper utilizes the German Mikrozensus to model competing secondary school outcomes among both foreign and naturalized children of guest workers, ethnic Germans, EU and third country immigrants. In line with previous research, I find that second generation disadvantage in educational attainment is largely explained by parental background. However, my study also finds evidence of higher attainment among many second generation groups. By introducing categorical interactions between parental education and immigrant origin, I link this new finding to the fact that most second generation groups are less adversely affected by low parental education than are the children of native Germans.
    Date: 2010–06–30
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ese:iserwp:2010-21&r=mig
  5. By: Mitze, Timo; Reinkowski, Janina
    Abstract: This paper assess the empirical validity of the neoclassical migration model to predict German internal migration flows driven by regional labour market disparities. We estimate static and dynamic migration functions for 97 Spatial Planning Regions between 1996--2006 using key labour market signals including income and unemployment differences among a broader set of explanatory variables. Beside an aggregate specification we also estimate the model for age-group related subsamples. Our results give empirical support for the main transmission channels identified by the neoclassical framework: That is, regional differences in the real income show the expected effect on the net inmigration rate, while the link between regional unemployment rate differentials and net inmigration is negative. The results remains stable if further variables are added to the model. Net in-commuting shows a negative correlation with in-migration underlying the substitutive nature of the two variables. Moreover an increasing level of international competitiveness attracts further in-migration flows. We also find heterogeneity for different types of settlement structure and the East-West macro regions by including federal state level fixed effects or an East German dummy. The results broadly hold for age-group specific estimates. Here, the impact of labour market signals is tested to be of greatest magnitude for workforce relevant age-groups and especially young cohorts from 18 to 25 and 25 to 30 years. This latter result underlines the prominent role played by labour market conditions in determining internal migration rates of the working population in Germany.
    Keywords: German Internal Migration; Harris-Todaro Model; Dynamic Panel Data
    JEL: C31 C33 R23
    Date: 2010–06–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:23616&r=mig
  6. By: Aitor Lacuesta (Banco de España); Sergio Puente (Banco de España)
    Abstract: This essay analyzes the impact of economic fluctuations on migration flows. To do so, the determinants of the inflows and outflows of migrants have been estimated. We find significant evidence on the effect that the macroeconomic fluctuations on the short run has on both flows, although the effect on the inflows is greater in number and strength. Therefore it can be expected that in the actual cyclical phase the migrant population growth will decelerate, especially through a reduction in inflows.
    Keywords: Immigration, Outmigration, Business cycle
    JEL: J61 J11
    Date: 2010–06
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bde:wpaper:1016&r=mig

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