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Root growing and path dependence in location choice: Evidence from Danish refugee placement

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  • Farrokhi, Farid
  • Jinkins, David

Abstract

Does spending time in a location cause a person to stay there longer? We use a 1999 change in Danish refugee settlement policy to address this question. The policy change strongly encouraged refugees to stay in their assigned settlement municipality for at least three years. Using empirical designs for natural experiments, we find that treated refugees were more likely to be in their assigned location many years after their residence was granted. In a difference-in-differences specification, treated refugees were 4.8 percentage points more likely to remain in their first commuting zone 13 years later. A regression discontinuity design delivers a larger but less precise point estimate.

Suggested Citation

  • Farrokhi, Farid & Jinkins, David, 2024. "Root growing and path dependence in location choice: Evidence from Danish refugee placement," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:105:y:2024:i:c:s0166046223001102
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2023.103975
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Location choice; Path dependence; Moving costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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