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on Economics of Human Migration |
| By: | Roskruge, Matthew (Massey University); Poot, Jacques (University of Waikato) |
| Abstract: | In this paper, we present evidence from quantitative research over the last decade on how the social capital of individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand is associated with birthplace and, for migrants, years since migration. We also consider the effects of spatial sorting and ethnic diversity on social capital formation. Aotearoa New Zealand has one of the highest rates of immigration in the OECD and, consequently, one of the highest shares of foreign-born individuals in the population. Additionally, the population is characterized by high ethnic diversity and a large indigenous population, with Māori representing 17 percent of the population. Using several data sources, we measure social capital by focusing on participation and volunteering in a range of community activities, perceptions of safety and inclusion, and voting in elections. Regression modelling shows that, as expected, migrants have little local social capital upon arrival. However, differences between their social capital and that of native-born individuals reduce considerably as the duration of residence in Aotearoa New Zealand increases. When the migrant share in a region is larger than the national average, migrants invest less in bridging social capital. Migrant clustering within a region increases their investment in bonding social capital. Bridging activities are associated with better employment outcomes. Less than one in five respondents in the utilized survey data report discrimination, and for migrants, discrimination declines with years of residence. However, the trend in discrimination has been upward over time and particularly affects non-European migrants and persons identifying with Māori and Pacific Peoples ethnicities. Residential location matters. Greater ethnic diversity is associated with the perception of a less safe neighbourhood, but individuals in ethnically diverse regions experience relatively less discrimination. Additionally, there is more involvement in elections in such regions. In contrast, greater ethnic polarisation in regions is associated with less civic engagement and more discrimination. |
| Keywords: | social capital, ethnic diversity, bonding, bridging, linking, immigrant integration, spatial sorting |
| JEL: | F22 R11 Z13 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17012&r= |
| By: | Chiara Maria Zisler; Eric Bettinger; Uschi Backes-Gellner |
| Abstract: | Given the increase in global refugee and migration flows and the severe labor shortages in host countries, actively helping refugees enter the labor market constitutes a critical solution for both challenges. This paper analyzes the effect of targeted training programs for refugees on their labor market and social integration. Using a quasi-experimental approach, we investigate a Swiss IT and coding bootcamp that combines occupational skills training with workplace-based cultural skills training (i.e., implicit skills that can be learned only through work experience). By matching individual survey data with detailed records from the program application process, we compare the labor market and social integration outcomes of program applicants around the admission threshold. Results for this quasi-random sample of applicants show that program participation significantly increases labor market outcomes compared to non-participation within the first three years after program graduation. |
| Keywords: | Refugees, Labor market integration, Skills training, Natural experiment |
| JEL: | J61 M53 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iso:educat:0218&r= |
| By: | Yanotti, Maria B.; Kangogo, Moses; Wright, Danika; Sarkar, Somwrita; Lyu, Fei |
| Abstract: | This research examines how population migration to particular suburbs or regions across Australia affects house prices in different suburbs and regions. The research found that when people move into a particular region house prices increase not only in that region and close surrounding areas, but may also rise in other, more distant locations. Furthermore, these house price increases may also trigger successive population movements of people moving out of that first region and moving to other parts of the state or to other states, in turn triggering a succession of house price impacts in these new areas. The research also looked at migration patterns during COVID-19 and found that, with increased numbers of people migrating out of the state, Victoria became a strong contributor of house price changes in every other state or territory. Within each state and territory, the trend is for population movements from inner-city suburbs towards outer city areas and regional areas. The influx of people into regional cities led to a worsening of housing affordability, with limited stock and very low vacancy rates, in part due to the lack of social and affordable housing options in regional areas. Given the traditional attraction of regional areas as relatively affordable locations, these areas are home to a high proportion of low-income and tenant households who are facing rising housing costs. Besides targeting policies that provide financial support for households experiencing housing stress in regional areas, policy makers should be aware that policies focussed on particular regions can have unintended consequences for nearby regions. The connectivity that operates across open borders means that migration increases and house price rises due to a local policy may increase house prices for other regions that may not get a direct benefit from the policy. |
| Date: | 2024–05–29 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:r5eg2&r= |
| By: | Postepska, Agnieszka (University of Groningen); Voloshyna, Anastasiia (University of Groningen) |
| Abstract: | Following the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, over a quarter of the Ukrainian population became displaced, with many seeking refuge across Europe. Czechia emerged as a key destination, granting Temporary Protection to approximately 433 thousand Ukrainians by the end of 2022, thus sheltering the highest per capita number of Ukrainian refugees worldwide. The swift enactment of the Lex Ukraine Act granted the refugees benefits typically reserved for permanent residents, such as unrestricted access to the labour market. This led to a notable increase in the number of Ukrainians officially employed and expanding Czechia's workforce. Using individual micro-level data from sixteen waves of the Labour Force Sample Survey (LFSS), collected between the 1st quarter of 2019 and the 4th quarter of 2022, we examine the short-term impact of the influx of the Ukrainian refugees on the labour market outcomes of locals in Czechia. Using several empirical strategies, including a two-way fixed effects model (TWFE), extensions to the canonical difference in differences (DiD) estimator, and matching on selective characteristics of individuals/districts and pre-treatment trends, we find consistent evidence that the influx of refugees had no economically meaningful impact on employment, unemployment, or inactivity rates within the local population, regardless of gender, educational level, or industry, noting that we find small negative effects on employment and positive effects on unemployment in sectors that experienced the largest influx of workers. However, we treat these results with caution due to the small sample sizes. Most importantly, we find consistent evidence of an increase in weekly working hours among local females in treated districts. This increase is primarily driven by workers with secondary education employed in the most affected sectors. |
| Keywords: | Ukrainian refugees, immigrants, local labour market, labour supply |
| JEL: | F22 J15 J21 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16965&r= |
| By: | Hasager, Linea (University of Copenhagen); Jørgensen, Mia (Danmarks Nationalbank) |
| Abstract: | Does living in a low-income neighborhood have negative health consequences? We document causal neighborhood effects on health by exploiting a Spatial Dispersal Policy that quasi-randomly resettled refugees across neighborhoods from 1986 to 1998. Refugees allocated to low-income neighborhoods had a 12 percent higher risk of having developed a lifestyle related disease 8 to 15 years after immigration compared with those allocated to high-income neighborhoods. Our results suggest that interaction with neighbors and the characteristics of the immediate environment are important determinants for health outcomes. Differences in health care access, ethnic networks, and individual labor market outcomes cannot explain our findings. |
| Keywords: | health inequality, Refugee Dispersal Policy, lifestyle related diseases, neighborhood effects |
| JEL: | J15 I12 I14 I31 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16949&r= |
| By: | Peter van der Windt (New York University - Abu Dhabi); Leonid Peisakhin (New York University - Abu Dhabi); Nik Stoop (University of Antwerp, Research Foundation Flanders) |
| Abstract: | Tens of millions of individuals are displaced due to violence, and most are hosted by other households in their home countries. We ask what motivates people to host the forcibly displaced. We are interested in whether empathy increases the willingness to host but also consider alternative explanations. To explore the correlates of hosting we collected survey data from 1, 504 households in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, fielded in-depth interviews, and implemented an experiment. We employ a novel strategy to measure hosting behavior, where household characteristics are measured prior to the arrival of displaced persons. We find that households with higher empathy are more likely to host in the ten-month period following the survey. There is no evidence that ethnicity, religiosity or wealth affect hosting behavior. Results from the experiment suggest that it is difficult to increase hosting propensity in the longer term (4+ months) through simple interventions. |
| Keywords: | Civil War, Displacement, Hosting, Experiment, Democratic Republic of Congo |
| JEL: | D74 O15 C93 C83 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hic:wpaper:412&r= |
| By: | Dezsîo, Linda; Koch, Christian |
| Abstract: | In an online experiment, we examine how ingroup bias and fairness concerns shape the redistributive preferences of UK resident natives and immigrants. Natives and immigrants were paired in a series of distributive situations. They chose how to divide a pie created from either party's previous contributions and stated what they believed to be their fair share from the vantage point of UK residents acting as unbiased spectators. In a complementary survey, we obtained these spectator divisions. We found that natives' and immigrants' distributive choices were absent ingroup bias. Their choices were, however, selfishly biased, as they invoked the fact that the pie was created solely from their own contributions. This behavior was eliminated when it disproportionately harmed the partner. Their fairness beliefs showed evidence of egocentric norm adoption: they favored equity as contributors and equality as noncontributors. They also believed that spectators would negatively discriminate against immigrants in favor of natives, but this perception was unfounded in light of spectators' divisions. We discuss the implications of our results for immigration research and integration policies. |
| Abstract: | In einem Online-Experiment untersuchen wir, wie Voreingenommenheit und Gerechtigkeitsbedenken, die Umverteilungspräferenzen von in Großbritannien ansässigen Einheimischen und Einwanderern beeinflussen. Einheimische und Einwanderer wurden in einer Reihe von Verteilungssituationen miteinander gepaart. Sie entschieden, wie ein Kuchen, der aus den vorherigen Beiträgen beider Parteien entstanden war, aufgeteilt werden sollte und gaben an, was sie aus der Sicht der britischen Einwohner, die als unvoreingenommene Zuschauer agierten, für ihren gerechten Anteil hielten. Die Zuschaueraufteilung erhielten wir durch eine ergänzenden Umfrage. Wir stellten fest, dass die Verteilungsentscheidungen von Einheimischen und Einwanderern keine Eigengruppen-Voreingenommenheit zeigten. Ihre Entscheidungen waren jedoch egoistisch voreingenommen, da sie darauf hinwiesen, dass der Kuchen ausschließlich aus ihren eigenen Beiträgen entstanden war. Dieses Verhalten verschwand, wenn es dem Partner unverhältnismäßig schadete. Ihre Fairness-Überzeugungen zeigten Hinweise auf egozentrische Normübernahme: Sie bevorzugten Gleichheit als Beitragszahler und Gleichberechtigung als Nicht-Beitragszahler. Sie glaubten außerdem, dass Zuschauer negativ gegen Einwanderer und zugunsten von Einheimischen diskriminieren würden, aber diese Wahrnehmung war im Hinblick auf die Aufteilungen der Zuschauer unbegründet. Die Auswirkungen unserer Ergebnisse wurden in Kontext mit der Migrationsforschung und Integrationspolitik gesetzt. |
| Keywords: | redistribution, equity, equality, United Kingdom, contributions, ingroup bias, self-serving behavior, egocentric norms, fairness, natives, immigrants |
| JEL: | C99 D69 D91 J15 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ecoarp:296484&r= |
| By: | Désiré Kanga; Mr. Boileau Loko; Gomez Agou; Mr. Kangni R Kpodar |
| Abstract: | We examine push and pull factors, including demographic, geography, culture, economic and human development, politics and climate, and uncover the key determinants shaping migration patterns within Africa. Our findings emphasize the significance of political (instability, ethnic tensions) and socio-demographic (human development, common language, population size and structure) factors, climate shocks, along with economic motivations, in driving intra-African migration. Understanding these multifaceted factors is vital for policymakers in formulating effective strategies to leverage human capital mobility to promote sustainable development in the region. |
| Keywords: | Migration; climate shocks; human development; political risk |
| Date: | 2024–05–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2024/097&r= |
| By: | Hartog, Joop (University of Amsterdam) |
| Abstract: | In the postwar period, when fertility dropped substantially, immigration more than made up for the drop in population growth, and from 1950 to 2020, population increased by 73%, double the European rate, in a country with population density already among the highest in Europe. Yet, there never has been a serious population policy, and in fact, central spatial planning has been abandoned. In regard to effects on population size, it seems like immigration policies were set by a sorcerer's apprentice who only half mastered his art: he could set forces in motion, but controlling them afterwards was beyond his skills. As a result, Dutch policy making touching on alternative uses of land, has now reached a stalemate. We discuss some options for a way out. |
| Keywords: | population size, population density, immigration, immigration policies, spatial planning |
| JEL: | J10 J11 J18 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16987&r= |
| By: | Emeriau, Mathilde; Wolton, Stephane |
| Abstract: | How do foreigners respond to xenophobic violence? Do they move out, leaving their home, or do they buy in, assimilating further? We develop a stylized theoretical framework to explain why exposure to violence can yield both more exits and more assimilation. We use an exogenous spike in xenophobic violence in 19th-century France and fine-grained individual data to provide causal evidence of this dual effect. We also study how foreigners’ response varies with the degree of exposure to violence and their prior level of integration in the host country, highlighting the importance of thinking of foreigners as a heterogeneous group. |
| Date: | 2024–05–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:srbmg&r= |