The Influence of Others on Migration Plans

The willingness to migrate and locational choice may be influenced by others’ choices or plans, particularly if the “other people,” such as family and friends, are migrants, former migrants, or potential migrants themselves. We examine the roles “other people” play in influencing an individual’s potential migration decision. In analyzing the influence of others on migration decisions, we rely on the concepts of migration networks and herd effects.     

Economic growth and growth linkages in China 1994–2003

This paper investigates to what extent income growth in the Chinese provinces is linked to growth and income levels in neighboring provinces. We find that the rate of income growth in a province is positively related to income and growth in neighboring provinces. However, we find no evidence of such positive interdependence between growth in rich coastal provinces and their immediate inland neighbors. This suggests that there has been little synchronization in economic growth rates between these regions, and/or that the immediate hinterland of the coastal growth centers might have been bypassed as China's manufacturing sector has migrated westward.     

Inter-provincial migration and inequality during Vietnam's transition

Vietnam's economic boom during the transition to a market economy has centered on very rapid growth in some sectors and provinces, yet poverty has diminished across the entire country. With capital investments highly concentrated by province and sector, geographic labor mobility may be critical in spreading the gains from growth. Conversely, rising income inequality may be attributable in part to impediments to migration. We first use census data to investigate migration patterns and determinants. We then examine the role of migration as an influence on income ratios between pairs of provinces. The former analysis robustly confirms economic motives for migration but also suggests the existence of poverty-related labor immobility at the provincial level. Examination of income ratios between pairs of provinces reveals that the impact of migration on inequality can be either negative or positive. A robust inequality-reducing impact of migration is found for migration flows into provinces where most of Vietnam's trade-oriented industrial investments are located.     

Empirical determinants of physician incomes — Evidence from Canadian data

This paper makes use of the fact that the stock of medical manpower in Canada is institutionally and exogenously determined in order to develop a model predicting physician average net income. An econometric evaluation of this model on a sample involving Canada's ten provinces during 1968–1982 suggests that a one per cent increase in physician fees increases physician average net income by 0.70 per cent, and a one per cent increase in the physician to population ratio reduces average net income by 0.62 per cent. In both cases, the elasticities are less than unity because the supply function for an individual physician is backward bending — on average, a Canadian physician reduces his hours worked by an amount between 0.17 and 0.50 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval) if his real wage rate is increased by one per cent.     

Urban to urban migration: Soviet patterns and post-Soviet implications

"In spite of extensive literature on migration in the Soviet Union, we know little about household-level decisions. This study specifies and estimates those variables important to understanding the migration decision. Using data from the Soviet Interview Project (SIP), we examine the forces influencing the decision to migrate or not to migrate, and in addition, for those who did migrate, the forces influencing the locational choices made. The results indicate that, while some of the traditional factors influencing migration are important, others are not, suggesting that in the post-Soviet era, differentiating the persistence of Soviet-type forces from emerging market-type forces will be important for an understanding of urban to urban migration."     

返乡农民工创业选择的影响因素分析——基于5省465户返乡农民工家庭的调查数据

农民工返乡创业对乡村振兴战略和农村脱贫战略的实施都具有重要影响,对返乡农民工创业选择的影响因素及城际差异进行研究有助于为各地区创业政策的精准制定和创业活动的精准开展指导提供参考。文章基于5个省6个城市返乡农民工家庭的样本数据,运用最优尺度回归和多水平模型实证分析了返乡农民工创业选择的影响因素与城际差异。研究发现:(1)出生年代、受教育程度、家庭年总收入3个微观变量和居住地教育环境、居住地居住条件、地区消费水平、地区房价水平4个宏观变量对返乡农民工创业选择具有显著影响。(2)返乡农民工创业选择存在城际差异,受教育程度、居住地教育环境、地区消费水平和地区房价水平对城市间返乡农民工创业选择的变异聚集性具有影响。根据地区特征,有针对性地加强针对农民工的技能培训和返乡创业支持体系建设有助于促进农民工返乡创业。     

Effect of Parental Migration on Children's Health in Rural China

Using 2003–2006 RCRE (Research Center for Rural Economy) panel data, we estimate the effect of parental migration on the health of children left behind, with a difference‐in‐differences and propensity score matching combined model. On average we do not find any significant effect on children's health; however, the effect varies among different groups. Children's health may improve as a result of parental migration in families with lower income in the base year and families with higher‐income growth rates. Furthermore, children's health may deteriorate with maternal migration but improve with longer distance of paternal migration and longer time of paternal migration. We argue that parental migration affects children's health through complex mechanisms: income increase may have a positive impact while decreased parental care may have a negative effect. The two effects seem to offset each other in rural China.     

Who stays,who goes,who returns?

We study the determinants of East–West migration within Germany during the period 1990–2006, using administrative data, the German Microcensus and the German Socio‐Economic Panel. We find that in addition to income prospects and employment status, two well‐known determinants of migration, psychological and social factors play an important role in determining the migration decision. Men and women move from East to West in proportionate numbers, but among individuals who lived in the East in 1989 women are more likely to migrate. The migrant body in the second wave of migration, starting in the late 1990s, is increasingly composed of young, educated people. By focusing on differences between temporary and permanent migrants, we find that older and single individuals are more likely to return East than stay permanently in the West, compared with younger and married individuals. Finally, the life satisfaction of permanent migrants increases significantly after a move, while that of temporary migrants remains essentially flat.     

中国城乡居民收入差距主要影响因素及其贡献率研究 ——基于全国31个省份6 937份家庭户问卷调查数据分析

本文基于全国31个省份6 937份家庭问卷调查数据,对我国城乡居民收入差距现状进行了统计测算,运用Mincer收入模型及Oaxaca Ransom分解法对我国城乡收入差距的主要影响因素及其贡献率进行实证分析。研究结果表明：我国城乡居民收入差距较大,基尼系数已超过警戒线;户主个人与家庭基本特征、人力资本、地区差异与城乡差异对居民家庭收入有显著影响;户主文化程度差异对城乡居民收入差距的贡献率最大,城乡二元结构差异、户主个人及家庭基本特征差异对城乡居民收入差距的贡献率较大,而地区差异对城乡居民收入差距的贡献率最小。在此基础上从四个方面提出了缩小城乡居民收入差距的政策建议。     

Trade,aid and migrations: some basic policy issues

The link between trade policy and international migration is explored using data from the United States and Europe. "We conclude that restrictive trade policies in industrialised countries have most likely added to migration pressures. We then turn to the broader question of the effects of income growth in the sending countries on the propensity to migrate. We argue that, in relatively poor countries, an increase in income will be associated with higher migration flows. For middle income countries, however, income growth will lead to lower migrations. In the medium run, therefore, the relationship between development levels, as measured by GDP per capita, and the propensity to migrate follows an inverse-U pattern. Econometric analysis of aggregate migration flows from Southern Europe provides considerable support for such conjecture."     

CROSSING THE BORDER AND MIGRATION DURATION

Policies to deter illegal entry and reduce the number of undocumented immigrants have a complex impact on migration patterns, border crossings, and duration. However, studies generally assume the method of crossing into the United States is exogenous with respect to migration duration. Using data from the Mexican Migration Project, this paper finds that the migrant's decision to hire a coyote (smuggler) to cross the border is endogenous with respect to duration. Instrumental variable estimates provide evidence that migrants who incur the cost of hiring a coyote have longer migration durations as they need to work longer in the United States. The migrants most likely to hire coyotes have less education, little migration experience, and/or come from rural communities. Results suggest that continuing to increase guest worker programs could actually decrease the number of Mexican immigrants in the United States by eliminating the need for coyotes which would reduce migration durations. This would better utilize the immigrant population in the United States by encouraging immigrants to stay while employed and to migrate home when unemployed, with the knowledge they can later return. Reducing coyote use would also reduce income flowing to Mexican cartels which have profited from human smuggling. (JEL O15, J61, J64)     

A spatial analysis of provincial corporate income tax responses: evidence from Canada

Abstract.  Using a model of interdependent tax choices, and accounting for equalization entitlements and general transfers, this paper estimates – making use of a spatial econometric framework – corporate income tax-setting functions for all Canadian provincial governments. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive fiscal interaction among a subset of provinces and between all provinces and the federal government. Provincial corporate income taxes are also found to be negatively related to equalization entitlements, general federal transfers, and the federal corporate income tax. A robustness check on the fiscal relationship between Ontario and Quebec verifies the existence of significant bi-directional fiscal interdependencies. The paper also introduces U.S state corporate income taxes as covariates and examines their interaction with Canadian provinces.     

迁移、自选择与收入分配-来自中国城乡的证据

本文强调两个事实:第一,农村居民并非同质,他们根据自身的特征决定迁移与否;第二,那些成功地改变了户籍身份的永久移民与没能改变户籍身份的临时移民之间有着显著的差异。利用2002年的CHIP数据发现,永久移民的正选择效应非常明显,它使得农村地区教育水平较高、处于收入分布较高位置的样本减少。这导致农村的收入水平和农村内部的不平等程度降低,阻碍了城乡差距的降低。相反,临时移民的选择效应几乎可以忽略不计。     

Measuring the size of the shadow economy in 30 provinces of China over 1995–2016: The MIMIC approach

Applying the multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) approach, the present paper measured the size of the shadow economies in China's provinces over 1995–2016. The results show that the average size of the shadow economy in 30 provinces of China increased from 13.55% in 1995 to 14.39% in 2009, and then decreased to 12.30% in 2016. There are obvious variations in the size of the shadow economies in different districts of China. The average size of the shadow economy is lowest in provinces in the eastern district and highest in the western district. In addition, the causes and consequences of the shadow economies in China's provinces have also been analysed using the MIMIC approach, and the results show that tax burden, complexity of the tax system, intensity of regulation, unemployment, employment in the agricultural sector and economic openness have significant positive effects on China's shadow economy, while the ratio of direct taxes to indirect taxes, fiscal autonomy and income levels have significant negative effects on China's shadow economy. Using the growth rate of energy consumption as the benchmark indicator, the MIMIC analysis shows that the shadow economy has significant positive effects on the development of the official economy and income inequality while having a significant negative effect on the labour participation rate.     

Persistence of Regional Wage Differences in China

Regional wage differences in China appear to be persistent and even to have grown over the past two decades. We study potential explanations for this phenomenon. After adjusting for the difference in the cost of living across provinces, we find that some of the cross‐province differences in real wages could be related to the quality of labour, industry composition and geographic location of provinces. These factors, taken together, explain approximately half of the cross‐province real wage variation. Interestingly, we find that interprovincial government transfers have not offset regional wage differences during the time period we consider. We also demonstrate that interprovincial migration, while driven in part by levels and changes in wage differences across provinces, did not help offset these differences. These results are consistent with findings in the literature that cross‐province labour mobility in China is still limited.     

Planning Retirement Income in Australia: Routes through the Maze

Individual retirees face a daunting task when they consider how best to invest their accumulated superannuation account and non-superannuation savings. This article highlights the fact that there is rarely an obvious decision in this choice and that the optimal decision depends on a number of factors. These factors include the valuation criterion adopted, the level of benefits, the individual's income level, the means-tests, the tax rates on income and superannuation benefits and the person's life expectancy. The optimal behaviour at retirement is significantly affected by the individual characteristics of relative lifetime earnings and post-retirement rates of mortality.     

A comparative analysis of funding schemes for public infrastructure spending in Quebec

The economic literature has been investigating the positive relation between public infrastructure spending and the productivity of the private sector since Munnell (1992). We have introduced this relationship into a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model of the Quebec economy to investigate various funding schemes to scale up infrastructure spending in the province. We draw our assumptions from Estache et al. (2010) combined with sectoral elasticity parameters. We conduct a comparative analysis where the funding comes from debt alone, and debt with sales tax, income tax and business tax. Our main finding is that the income tax seems to produce the most positive effects and the businesses tax the most negative effects, though differences are small.     

Testing the ‘brain gain’ hypothesis: Micro evidence from Cape Verde

Does emigration really drain human capital accumulation in origin countries? This paper explores a unique household survey designed and conducted to answer this research question. We analyze the case of Cape Verde, a country with allegedly the highest ‘brain drain’ in Africa, despite a marked record of income and human capital growth in recent decades. We propose the first explicit test of ‘brain drain’ arguments, according to which the prospects of own future migration can positively impact educational attainment. Our most conservative estimates using individual specific variation in economic conditions at the destination indicate that a 10 pp increase in the probability of own future migration improves the probability of completing intermediate secondary schooling by nearly 4 pp for individuals who do not migrate before age 16. These findings are robust to the choice of instruments and econometric specification. Counterfactual simulations point to significant human capital gains from lowering migration barriers.     

The microeconomic determinants of emigration and return migration of the best and brightest: Evidence from the Pacific

A unique survey which tracks worldwide the best and brightest academic performers from three Pacific countries is used to assess the extent of emigration and return migration among the very highly skilled, and to analyze, at the microeconomic level, the determinants of these migration choices. Although we estimate that the income gains from migration are very large, not everyone migrates and many return. Within this group of highly skilled individuals the emigration decision is found to be most strongly associated with preference variables such as risk aversion and patience, and choice of subjects in secondary school, and not strongly linked to either liquidity constraints or to the gain in income to be had from migrating. Likewise, the decision to return is strongly linked to family and lifestyle reasons, rather than to the income opportunities in different countries. Overall the data suggest a relatively limited role for income maximization in distinguishing migration propensities among the very highly skilled, and a need to pay more attention to other components of the utility maximization decision.     

中国电力行业环境效率及其影响因素研究 ——基于2008—2017年省级面板数据

本文采用SBM超效率模型,对2008—2017年中国30个省份电力行业环境效率进行测度,并开展空间差异和空间自相关分析.结果表明:中国电力行业环境效率还比较低;呈现出东部高于西部、西部高于中部的走势;各年度不同省份的电力行业环境效率差异显著;且存在空间依赖性.通过Tobit回归实证显示:中国电力行业环境效率的影响因素存在区域显著性差异;经济规模水平、电源结构、技术水平、燃煤效率对中国电力行业环境效率具有促进作用;人口水平对中国电力行业环境效率具有反向作用.最后提出了提升中国电力行业环境效率的政策建议.