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Dual-earner migration in Britain: earnings gains, employment, and self-selection

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  • Rabe, Birgitta

Abstract

This paper examines how spouses in dual-earner couples in Britain weigh each partner's expected wage growth in the decision to migrate. Previous research suggests that husbands' job prospects dominate the migration choice irrespective of their relative earnings potential. Based on British panel data this paper employs an endogenous switching model and estimates wage change differentials of migrating vs. staying for husbands and wives corrected for double selectivity of migration and employment. The analysis shows that dual-earner couples put roughly equal weights on each partner's expected wage gains when deciding to migrate. Moreover, migrant wives' employment declines temporarily and there are significant selection effects in migration and employment among non-migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Rabe, Birgitta, 2006. "Dual-earner migration in Britain: earnings gains, employment, and self-selection," ISER Working Paper Series 2006-01, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:ese:iserwp:2006-01
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    Cited by:

    1. Martyn Andrews & Ken Clark & William Whittaker, 2011. "The determinants of regional migration in Great Britain: a duration approach," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 174(1), pages 127-153, January.
    2. Birgitta Rabe & Mark P. Taylor, 2012. "Differences in Opportunities? Wage, Employment and House-Price Effects on Migration," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 74(6), pages 831-855, December.
    3. Terra Mckinnish, 2008. "Spousal Mobility and Earnings," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(4), pages 829-849, November.
    4. Katarzyna Budnik, 2011. "Emigration Triggers: International Migration of Polish Workers between 1994 and 2009," NBP Working Papers 90, Narodowy Bank Polski.
    5. Murray-Close, Marta, 2019. "Living Far Apart Together: Dual-Career Location Constraints and Marital Noncohabitation," SocArXiv a9dc8, Center for Open Science.
    6. Sigaud, Thomas, 2014. "Mobilités résidentielles et professionnelles des salariés en France : entreprises, marchés et territoires, une articulation en tension," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/14064 edited by Kirat, Thierry & Cusin, François.
    7. Nicoletti, Cheti, 2008. "Multiple sample selection in the estimation of intergenerational occupational mobility," ISER Working Paper Series 2008-20, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    8. Zaiceva, Anzelika, 2010. "East-West migration and gender: Is there a differential effect for migrant women?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 443-454, April.
    9. L. Blackburn, McKinley, 2006. "The impact of internal migration on married couples’ earnings in Britain, with a comparison to the United States," ISER Working Paper Series 2006-24, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    10. M. L. Blackburn, 2010. "The Impact of Internal Migration on Married Couples' Earnings in Britain," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 77(307), pages 584-603, July.

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