Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics

The migrant selection literature concentrates primarily on spatial patterns. We integrate two workhorses of the labor literature, the Roy and search models, to illustrate the implications of migration duration for patterns of selection. Theory and empirics show that temporary migrants are intermedia...

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Autores principales: Chen, Joyce J., Kosec, Katrina, Mueller, Valerie
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150287
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author Chen, Joyce J.
Kosec, Katrina
Mueller, Valerie
author_browse Chen, Joyce J.
Kosec, Katrina
Mueller, Valerie
author_facet Chen, Joyce J.
Kosec, Katrina
Mueller, Valerie
author_sort Chen, Joyce J.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The migrant selection literature concentrates primarily on spatial patterns. We integrate two workhorses of the labor literature, the Roy and search models, to illustrate the implications of migration duration for patterns of selection. Theory and empirics show that temporary migrants are intermediately selected on education, with weaker selection on cognitive ability. Longer migration episodes lead to stronger positive selection on both education and ability because the associated jobs involve finer employee-employer matching and offer greater returns to experience. Networks are more valuable for permanent migration, where search costs are higher. Labor market frictions explain observed complex network-skill interactions. When considering migrant selection, the economics literature has largely focused on patterns by area of origin. However, the duration of migration episodes–temporary versus permanent–is another important determinant of selection. We integrate two workhorses of the labor literature, the Roy model and a search model, to illustrate the implications of migration duration for patterns of self-selection. We provide theoretical and empirical evidence showing that, because short-term migration episodes have less scope for skill-based matching and greater need for screening, temporary migrants are more likely to display intermediate selection on education, with weaker selection on underlying cognitive ability. Longer term migration episodes, in contrast, allow for finer employee-employer matching and greater returns to experience, leading to stronger positive selection on both education and cognitive ability among permanent migrants. Networks are also found to be more valuable for permanent migration, where search costs tend to be higher. However, we also provide evidence of complex network-skill interactions, driven primarily by labor market frictions.
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spelling CGSpace1502872025-11-06T05:20:36Z Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics Chen, Joyce J. Kosec, Katrina Mueller, Valerie income labour market networks migration search costs The migrant selection literature concentrates primarily on spatial patterns. We integrate two workhorses of the labor literature, the Roy and search models, to illustrate the implications of migration duration for patterns of selection. Theory and empirics show that temporary migrants are intermediately selected on education, with weaker selection on cognitive ability. Longer migration episodes lead to stronger positive selection on both education and ability because the associated jobs involve finer employee-employer matching and offer greater returns to experience. Networks are more valuable for permanent migration, where search costs are higher. Labor market frictions explain observed complex network-skill interactions. When considering migrant selection, the economics literature has largely focused on patterns by area of origin. However, the duration of migration episodes–temporary versus permanent–is another important determinant of selection. We integrate two workhorses of the labor literature, the Roy model and a search model, to illustrate the implications of migration duration for patterns of self-selection. We provide theoretical and empirical evidence showing that, because short-term migration episodes have less scope for skill-based matching and greater need for screening, temporary migrants are more likely to display intermediate selection on education, with weaker selection on underlying cognitive ability. Longer term migration episodes, in contrast, allow for finer employee-employer matching and greater returns to experience, leading to stronger positive selection on both education and cognitive ability among permanent migrants. Networks are also found to be more valuable for permanent migration, where search costs tend to be higher. However, we also provide evidence of complex network-skill interactions, driven primarily by labor market frictions. 2015-12-30 2024-08-01T02:51:18Z 2024-08-01T02:51:18Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150287 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149866 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150370 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Chen, Joyce J.; Kosec, Katrina; and Mueller, Valerie. 2015. Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1496. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150287
spellingShingle income
labour market
networks
migration
search costs
Chen, Joyce J.
Kosec, Katrina
Mueller, Valerie
Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title_full Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title_fullStr Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title_full_unstemmed Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title_short Temporary and permanent migrant selection: Theory and evidence of ability-search cost dynamics
title_sort temporary and permanent migrant selection theory and evidence of ability search cost dynamics
topic income
labour market
networks
migration
search costs
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/150287
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AT muellervalerie temporaryandpermanentmigrantselectiontheoryandevidenceofabilitysearchcostdynamics