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Mexican Migration to the United States: Selection, Assignment, and Welfare

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  • BURZYNSKI Michal
  • GOLA Pawel

Abstract

This paper analyzes how migration policy reforms shape migrants' self-selection and, through that, affect welfare and wage inequality in the sending and destination countries. First, we document that the distribution of wages among U.S. workers dominates the distribution of wages among Mexican immigrants in the hazard rate order. Second, we show that if this condition holds, then the standard assignment model predicts that the effciency and equality goals of migration policy are in conflict. Finally, we develop and calibrate a two-country extension of the assignment model with endogenous migration, and use it to quantify the implications of migration policy reforms.

Suggested Citation

  • BURZYNSKI Michal & GOLA Pawel, 2019. "Mexican Migration to the United States: Selection, Assignment, and Welfare," LISER Working Paper Series 2019-10, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
  • Handle: RePEc:irs:cepswp:2019-10
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    Cited by:

    1. Gianluca Orefice & Giovanni Peri, 2020. "Immigration and Worker-Firm Matching," Working Papers DT/2020/02, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    2. Pulido, José & Varón, Alejandra, 2024. "Misallocation of the immigrant workforce: Aggregate productivity effects for the host country," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    3. Riccardo Turati, 2021. "Do you want to migrate to the United States? Migration intentions and Cultural Traits in Latin America," Working Papers wpdea2101, Department of Applied Economics at Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Migration; matching; selection; welfare;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C68 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computable General Equilibrium Models
    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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