IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/jepppp/jepp-07-2019-0062.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of labor market freedom on state-level in-migration in the US

Author

Listed:
  • Richard J. Cebula
  • Christopher M. Duquette
  • G. Jason Jolley

Abstract

Purpose - Influences on the pattern of internal migration in the US, including economic factors, quality-of-life factors and public policy variables have been extensively studied by regional scientists since the early 1970s. Interestingly, a small number of studies also address the effects of economic freedom on migration. The purpose of this paper is to add to the migration literature by examining the impact of labor market freedom on both gross and net state in-migration over the study period 2008–2016. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses dynamic panel data analysis to investigate the impact of labor market freedom on both gross and net state in-migration over the study period 2008–2016. Findings - The panel generalized method of moments analysis reveals that overall labor market freedom exercised a positive and statistically significant impact on both measures of state in-migration over the study period. The study finds a 1 percentage point increase in the overall labor market freedom index results in a 2.8 percent increase in the gross in-migration rate. Research limitations/implications - The findings imply states interested in attracting migrants and stimulating economic growth should pursue policies consistent with increased labor freedom. Originality/value - The emphasis in the present study is on the impact of labor market freedom on state-level in-migration patterns, both gross and net, over a contemporary time period that includes both the Great Recession and subsequent recovering.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard J. Cebula & Christopher M. Duquette & G. Jason Jolley, 2019. "The impact of labor market freedom on state-level in-migration in the US," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(1), pages 40-52, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jepppp:jepp-07-2019-0062
    DOI: 10.1108/JEPP-07-2019-0062
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEPP-07-2019-0062/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEPP-07-2019-0062/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/JEPP-07-2019-0062?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Literature; Recession; Data analysis; Labour market freedom; Net state in-migration; Dynamic panel data estimation; H24; J61; J68; P14; R23;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • P14 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Property Rights
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:jepppp:jepp-07-2019-0062. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.