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Education, Job Search, and Migration

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  • Basker, Emek

Abstract

Job-search and migration behavior differ across educational groups. In this paper, I explore several dierences between the migration and search behavior of workers with different levels of education, both theoretically and empirically. I start with two stylized facts. First, the propensity to migrate increases with education. Second, conditional on migration, the probability that a worker moves with a job in hand (rather than moving to search for a job in the new location) also increases with education. I present a simple model that captures these facts and generates a number of predictions about differential sensitivity of migration to observed variables by education. Predictions include a non-monotonicity of migration elasticities with respect to business-cycle conditions by educational group, and less-educated groups' higher sensitivity to local economic conditions in the migration decision. These predictions are varied using CPS data.

Suggested Citation

  • Basker, Emek, 2018. "Education, Job Search, and Migration," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 48(4), November.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:jrapmc:339919
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.339919
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    Cited by:

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    2. Peter McHenry, 2014. "The Geographic Distribution Of Human Capital: Measurement Of Contributing Mechanisms," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 215-248, March.
    3. Ruben Hernandez-Murillo & Lesli S. Ott & Michael T. Owyang & Denise Whalen, 2011. "Patterns of interstate migration in the United States from the survey of income and program participation," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 93(May), pages 169-186.
    4. Janice Compton & Robert A. Pollak, 2007. "Why Are Power Couples Increasingly Concentrated in Large Metropolitan Areas?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(3), pages 475-512.
    5. Reeder, Richard J. & Brown, Dennis M., 2005. "Recreation, Tourism, and Rural Well-Being," Economic Research Report 7220, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. Victor Agadjanian & Evgenia Gorina, 2019. "Economic Swings, Political Instability and Migration in Kyrgyzstan," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 285-304, May.
    7. Alessandra Faggian & Jonathan Corcoran & Philip McCann, 2013. "Modelling geographical graduate job search using circular statistics," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(2), pages 329-343, June.
    8. repec:mpr:mprres:6984 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Nashrul Wajdi & Clara H. Mulder & Sri M. Adioetomo, 2017. "Inter-regional migration in Indonesia: a micro approach," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 253-277, September.
    10. Simona Iammarino & Elisabetta Marinelli, 2012. "Education-Job (Mis)Matching And Interregional Migration: Italian University Graduates’ Transition To Work," Working Papers 8, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Sep 2012.
    11. Terra Mckinnish, 2008. "Spousal Mobility and Earnings," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(4), pages 829-849, November.
    12. Wozniak, Abigail, 2006. "Educational Differences in the Migration Responses of Young Workers to Local Labor Market Conditions," IZA Discussion Papers 1954, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Ronald L. Whisler & Brigitte S. Waldorf & Gordon F. Mulligan & David A. Plane, 2008. "Quality of Life and the Migration of the College‐Educated: A Life‐Course Approach," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 58-94, March.
    14. Brigitte Waldorf, 2009. "Is human capital accumulation a self-propelling process? Comparing educational attainment levels of movers and stayers," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(2), pages 323-344, June.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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