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Recovering the Counterfactual Wage Distribution with Selective Return Migration

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  • Biavaschi, Costanza

    (University of Pisa)

Abstract

This paper explores the distribution of immigrant wages in the absence of return migration from the host country. In particular, it recovers the counterfactual wage distribution if all Mexican immigrants were to settle in the United States and no out-migration of Mexican-born workers occurred. Because migrants self-select in the decision to return, the overarching problem addressed by this study is the use of an estimator that accounts also for selection on unobservables. I adopt a semiparametric procedure that recovers this counterfactual distribution and find that Mexican returnees are middle- to high-wage earners at all levels of educational attainment. The presented results contrast with the general perception that those migrants who return home have failed in the host country.

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  • Biavaschi, Costanza, 2012. "Recovering the Counterfactual Wage Distribution with Selective Return Migration," IZA Discussion Papers 6795, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6795
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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Dustmann, 2014. "Selective Outmigration and the Estimation of Immigrants Earnings Profiles," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 1402, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    2. Steffen Reinhold & Kevin Thom, 2013. "Migration Experience and Earnings in the Mexican Labor Market," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 48(3), pages 768-820.
    3. Raymundo Campos-Vazquez & Jaime Lara, 2012. "Self-selection patterns among return migrants: Mexico 1990-2010," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 1(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Jamie Sharpe, 2020. "A Pathway To Homeownership? Evidence From The Immigration Reform And Control Act Of 1986," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 38(3), pages 435-447, July.
    5. Govert E. Bijwaard & Jackline Wahba, 2019. "Immigrants’ Wage Growth and Selective Out‐Migration," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 81(5), pages 1065-1094, October.
    6. Biavaschi, Costanza & Elsner, Benjamin, 2013. "Let's Be Selective about Migrant Self-Selection," IZA Discussion Papers 7865, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Julio Acuna, 2023. "The Asymmetric Impact of Out-Migration and Return Migration on Wages in the Source Country: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 17(2), pages 173-206.
    8. Elsner, Benjamin & Narciso, Gaia & Thijssen, Jacco J. J., 2013. "Migrant Networks and the Spread of Misinformation," IZA Discussion Papers 7863, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    U.S.-Mexico migration; assimilation; self-selection; return migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration

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