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Education, Job Search and Migration

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  • Emek Basker

    (University of Missouri - Columbia)

Abstract

Job-search and migration behavior differ across educational groups. In this paper, I explore several differences between the migration and search behavior of workers with different levels of education, both theoretically and empirically. I start with two stylized facts. First, the propensity to migrate increases with education. Second, conditional on migration, the probability that a worker moves with a job in hand (rather than moving to search for a job in the new location) also increases with education. I present a simple individual optimization problem that captures these facts and generates a number of predictions about differential sensitivity of migration to observed variables by education. These predictions, including a nonmonotonicity of migration elasticities with respect to business-cycle conditions by educational group, and less-educated groups’ higher sensitivity to local economic conditions in the migration decision, are verified using CPS data.

Suggested Citation

  • Emek Basker, 2003. "Education, Job Search and Migration," Labor and Demography 0303003, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpla:0303003
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; prepared on IBM PC - PC-TEX; to print on PostScript; pages: 37 ; figures: included. University of Missouri Working Paper 02-16
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Terra Mckinnish, 2008. "Spousal Mobility and Earnings," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 45(4), pages 829-849, November.
    2. Nashrul Wajdi & Clara H. Mulder & Sri M. Adioetomo, 2017. "Inter-regional migration in Indonesia: a micro approach," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 253-277, September.
    3. Peter McHenry, 2014. "The Geographic Distribution Of Human Capital: Measurement Of Contributing Mechanisms," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 215-248, March.
    4. repec:mpr:mprres:6984 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Janice Compton & Robert A. Pollak, 2007. "Why Are Power Couples Increasingly Concentrated in Large Metropolitan Areas?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 25(3), pages 475-512.
    6. Ruben Hernandez-Murillo & Lesli S. Ott & Michael T. Owyang & Denise Whalen, 2011. "Patterns of interstate migration in the United States from the survey of income and program participation," Review, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, vol. 93(May), pages 169-186.
    7. Simona Iammarino & Elisabetta Marinelli, 2012. "Education-Job (Mis)Matching And Interregional Migration: Italian University Graduates’ Transition To Work," Working Papers 8, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Sep 2012.
    8. Victor Agadjanian & Evgenia Gorina, 2019. "Economic Swings, Political Instability and Migration in Kyrgyzstan," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 285-304, May.
    9. Alessandra Faggian & Jonathan Corcoran & Philip McCann, 2013. "Modelling geographical graduate job search using circular statistics," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(2), pages 329-343, June.
    10. Reeder, Richard J. & Brown, Dennis M., 2005. "Recreation, Tourism, and Rural Well-Being," Economic Research Report 7220, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    11. Wozniak, Abigail, 2006. "Educational Differences in the Migration Responses of Young Workers to Local Labor Market Conditions," IZA Discussion Papers 1954, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Ronald L. Whisler & Brigitte S. Waldorf & Gordon F. Mulligan & David A. Plane, 2008. "Quality of Life and the Migration of the College‐Educated: A Life‐Course Approach," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 58-94, March.
    13. Marije Hamersma & Arjen Edzes & Jouke van Dijk, 2015. "Underqualification as an Opportunity for Low-Educated Workers," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 33(1), pages 83-103, February.
    14. Brigitte Waldorf, 2009. "Is human capital accumulation a self-propelling process? Comparing educational attainment levels of movers and stayers," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(2), pages 323-344, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    migration search unemployment;

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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