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Local labor markets and the persistence of population shocks: evidence from West Germany, 1939–1970

Author

Listed:
  • Sebastian T Braun
  • Anica Kramer
  • Michael Kvasnicka
  • Philipp Meier

Abstract

This article studies the persistence of a large, unexpected and regionally very unevenly distributed population shock, the inflow of eight million ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe to West Germany after World War II. Using detailed census data from 1939 to 1970, we show that the shock proved persistent within local labor markets, but was largely reversed between labor markets. These results show that the choice of spatial units can significantly affect the estimated persistence of population shocks. They can thus help to explain why previous studies on the persistence of population shocks reached conflicting conclusions.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian T Braun & Anica Kramer & Michael Kvasnicka & Philipp Meier, 2021. "Local labor markets and the persistence of population shocks: evidence from West Germany, 1939–1970," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 231-260.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jecgeo:v:21:y:2021:i:2:p:231-260.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jeg/lbaa013
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. World Bank & Foltz,Jeremy David & Shibuya,Sakina, 2022. "The Effects of Internally Displaced Peoples on Consumption and Inequality in Mali," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10054, The World Bank.
    2. Donges, Alexander & Streb, Jochen, 2024. "How the West was Settled. The Location Choice of East German Companies Migrating to West Germany after World War II," VfS Annual Conference 2024 (Berlin): Upcoming Labor Market Challenges 302389, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Population shock; locational fundamentals; agglomeration economies; regional migration; post-war Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-

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