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Reconciling the Pattern of Trade with the Pattern of Migration

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  • James E. Rauch

Abstract

Empirical studies have consistently found that skilled-labor abundant countries tend to export skilled-labor intensive manufactured goods. Yet these countries also have higher wages for skilled workers, causing them to be net importers through migration of skilled labor from unskilled-labor abundant countries (the "brain drain"). A new explanation is presented for this combination of comparative and absolute advantage in skilled-labor abundant countries: if only skilled (educated) individuals can become managers, then given the same underlying distribution of managerial talent the country that is more poorly endowed with skilled labor must use a less talented manager at the margin in order to fully employ its work force. This causes wages for unskilled workers and skilled individuals who choose to become employees to be lower in the unskilled-labor abundant country while incomes of skilled individuals talented enough to become managers are lower (for a given talent level) in the skilled-labor abundant country. The consequences of the resulting migration of unskilled and skilled employees to the skilled-labor abundant country and managers to the unskilled-labor abundant country are then examined. There are several surprises: for example, migration of unskilled labor to the skilled-labor abundant country leads to a fall in the wages of both unskilled and skilled workers there and a rise in the wages of both unskilled and skilled workers in the country of origin.

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  • James E. Rauch, 1991. "Reconciling the Pattern of Trade with the Pattern of Migration," NBER Working Papers 3605, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3605
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    Cited by:

    1. Hatzigeorgiou, Andreas & Lodefalk, Magnus, 2018. "Anti-Migration as a Threat to Internationalization? A Review of the Migration-Internationalization Literature," GLO Discussion Paper Series 287, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Spiros Bougheas & Douglas R. Nelson, 2012. "Skilled Worker Migration and Trade: Inequality and Welfare," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 197-215, February.
    3. Schmitt, Nicolas & Soubeyran, Antoine, 2006. "A simple model of brain circulation," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 296-309, July.
    4. Andreas Hatzigeorgiou & Magnus Lodefalk, 2016. "Migrants’ Influence on Firm-level Exports," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 477-497, December.
    5. Giannetti, Mariassunta, 2003. "On the mechanics of migration decisions: skill complementarities and endogenous price differentials," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 329-349, August.
    6. Weel, Bas ter, 1999. "Investing in Knowledge: On the Trade-Off between R&D, ICT, Skills and Migration," Research Memorandum 024, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Rauch, James E., 2010. "Development through synergistic reforms," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(2), pages 153-161, November.
    8. Hatzigeorgiou, Andreas & Lodefalk, Magnus, 2017. "Anti-Migration as a Threat to Internationalization?," Ratio Working Papers 302, The Ratio Institute.
    9. Iranzo, Susana & Peri, Giovanni, 2009. "Migration and trade: Theory with an application to the Eastern-Western European integration," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 1-19, September.
    10. Hatzigeorgiou, Andreas & Lodefalk, Magnus, 2018. "Do Migrants Facilitate Internationalization? A Review of the Literature," Working Papers 2018:11, Örebro University, School of Business, revised 19 Dec 2019.
    11. Ariel T. Burstein & Alexander Monge-Naranjo, 2009. "Foreign Know-How, Firm Control, and the Income of Developing Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 124(1), pages 149-195.
    12. Silva, André C., 2010. "Managerial ability and capital flows," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 126-136, September.
    13. Commander, Simon & Kangasniemi, Mari & Winters, L. Alan, 2003. "The Brain Drain: Curse or Boon?," IZA Discussion Papers 809, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Baruch, Yehuda & Budhwar, Pawan S. & Khatri, Naresh, 2007. "Brain drain: Inclination to stay abroad after studies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 99-112, March.
    15. Hatzigeorgiou, Andreas & Karpaty, Patrik & Kneller, Richard & Lodefalk, Magnus, 2016. "Immigrant Employment and the Contract Enforcement Costs of Offshoring," Working Papers 2016:7, Örebro University, School of Business, revised 01 Feb 2022.
    16. Iranzo, Susana & Peri, Giovanni, 2009. "Migration and trade: Theory with an application to the Eastern-Western European integration," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 1-19, September.
    17. M.A.B. Siddique, 2006. "Immigration and Trade: How Important is the link? Evidence from Australia," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 06-08, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    18. Dunlevy, James A. & Hutchinson, William K., 2001. "The Pro-Trade Effect of Immigration on American Exports During the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries," IZA Discussion Papers 375, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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