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EU enlargement and the race to the bottom of welfare states

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  • Christoph Skupnik

Abstract

After the introduction of the freedom of movement for Eastern European workers, EU-15 countries were expected to reduce public benefits in order to avoid becoming “welfare magnets”. However, OECD data do not support the prediction of a race to the bottom in benefit levels. Using EU-LFS data, I analyze the determinants of migration flows and do not find evidence that welfare state variables affect migration flows when controlling for temporary political restrictions of the freedom of movement. This explains why the pressure to modify welfare spending is small. Furthermore, evidence is found that the restrictions offset the migration incentive effects of work-related pull factors. Copyright Skupnik; licensee Springer 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Skupnik, 2014. "EU enlargement and the race to the bottom of welfare states," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:izamig:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:1-21:10.1186/s40176-014-0015-6
    DOI: 10.1186/s40176-014-0015-6
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    Cited by:

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    2. Torben M. Andersen & Giuseppe Bertola & John Driffill & Harold James & Hans-Werner Sinn & Jan-Egbert Sturm & Branko Uroševic, 2016. "Chapter 4: Denmark: Too Good to Be True?," EEAG Report on the European Economy, CESifo, vol. 0, pages 85-98, February.
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    5. Corneo, Giacomo & Neidhöfer, Guido, 2021. "Income redistribution and self-selection of immigrants," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    6. Martin Kahanec & Martin Guzi, 2023. "Welfare Migration," Discussion Papers 65, Central European Labour Studies Institute (CELSI).
    7. David Saha & Ronnie Schöb, 2015. "Unemployment Insurance in Unionized Labor Markets: Neither Ghent nor Centralized," CESifo Working Paper Series 5430, CESifo.
    8. Andersen, Torben M. & Migali, Silvia, 2016. "Migrant Workers and the Welfare State," IZA Discussion Papers 9940, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    F22; J21; J61; Determinants of migration decisions; EU enlargement; “Welfare migration”; Push and pull factors;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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