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Where to live? English proficiency and residential location of UK migrants

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  • Aoki, Yu
  • Santiago, Lualhati

Abstract

This study aims to identify the causal effects of English proficiency on residential location choices of immigrants. Based on the ideas that (i) immigrants whose mother tongue is linguistically close to English learn the language more easily, and that (ii) young children learn a new language more easily than older children, we construct an instrument for English proficiency, exploiting linguistic distance from English, and age at arrival in the United Kingdom for childhood migrants. Using a unique dataset, we construct various measures of residential clustering aimed at capturing different types of immigrant enclave, and find a negative impact of better English skills on residency in a language enclave, but a positive impact on residency in an ethnic enclave. We also find strong evidence of an impact of poorer English proficiency on living in a neighbourhood of lower quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Aoki, Yu & Santiago, Lualhati, 2024. "Where to live? English proficiency and residential location of UK migrants," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 73-93.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:221:y:2024:i:c:p:73-93
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2024.03.015
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Language skills; Residential clustering; Enclave; Neighbourhood quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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