Webinaire junior sur l'économie des migrations

Consequences of Immigrating During a Recession: Evidence from the US Refugee Resettlement Program

Joshua Mask, University of Illinois
 

Résumé

Are there long-term labor consequences from migrating to the United States during a recession? For most immigrants, credibly estimating this effect is difficult because of selective migration. Some immigrants may not move if economic conditions become unfavorable. However, identification is possible for refugees as their arrival dates are exogenously determined through the US Refugee Resettlement program. A one percentage point increase in the arrival national unemployment rate reduces refugee wages by 1.66 percent and employment probability by 1.39 percentage points after five years.
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Migration, Schooling, and Social Violence in Colombia

Andres Cuadros-Menaca, with Jhon J. Mora
 

Résumé

Migration stimulates the development and helps to alleviate poverty by providing capital for household investments in the migrant’s home country. Recent studies underline the importance of channeling migrants’ earning to human capital, given their capacity to relax household budget constraints. However, in a context of societal conflict, the positive effects of migration may be offset or may disappear entirely. In this paper, we examine whether migration increases school attendance and educational attainment in a city with one of the highest homicide rates in the world. To identify the causal impact of migration, we use an instrumental variable (IV) approach that relies on the historical share of migrants by districts. We find that children in migrant households are more likely to achieve non-compulsory levels of education and complete high school. Moreover, we find that the impact of migration is more pronounced for girls. We study potential mechanisms by which migration could affect educational attainment and find it has positive impacts on living conditions in migrant households. Finally, we find that exposure to violence decreases the positive impact of migration on schooling. This study provides new evidence on the positive effects of migration on schooling and gender equality by supporting education for women. Moreover, our findings reinforce the idea of promoting more peaceful and safer cities for sustainable development.