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Author: Kiernan, John
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Walker, James R.
Kiernan, John
The Effect of Expected Income on Individual Migration Decisions
Presented: Boston, MA, Population Association of America Meetings, April 2004
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Population Association of America
Keyword(s):

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

The paper develops a tractable econometric model of optimal migration, focusing on expected income as the main economic influence on migration. The model improves on previous work in two respects: it covers optimal sequences of location decisions (rather than a single once-for-all choice), and it allows for many alternative location choices. The model is estimated using panel data from the NLSY on white males with a high school education. Our main conclusion is that interstate migration decisions are influenced to a substantial extent by income prospects. On the other hand we find no evidence of a response to geographic differences in wage distributions. Instead, the results suggest that the link between income and migration decisions is driven by a tendency to move in search of a better locational match when the income realization in the current location is unfavorable.
Bibliography Citation
Walker, James R. and John Kiernan. "The Effect of Expected Income on Individual Migration Decisions." Presented: Boston, MA, Population Association of America Meetings, April 2004.