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  4. March 2023
  5. The Economics of Internal Migration: Advances and Policy Questions

The Economics of Internal Migration: Advances and Policy Questions

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Abstract

We review developments in research on within-country migration, focusing on internal migration in the United States. We begin by describing approaches to modeling individuals' migration decisions and equilibrium outcomes across local areas. Next, we summarize evidence regarding the impact of migration on individuals' outcomes, implications of migration for local labor market adjustment, and interactions between migration and housing markets. Finally, we discuss evidence on the efficacy of policies aimed at encouraging migration and conclude by highlighting important unanswered questions that are critical for informing migration-related policy.

Citation

Jia, Ning, Raven Molloy, Christopher Smith, and Abigail Wozniak. 2023. "The Economics of Internal Migration: Advances and Policy Questions." Journal of Economic Literature, 61 (1): 144-80. DOI: 10.1257/jel.20211623

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
  • I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
  • J31 Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
  • J61 Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
  • J62 Job, Occupational, and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion
  • R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
  • R38 Production Analysis and Firm Location: Government Policy