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Quantifying the Benefits of Labor Mobility in a Currency Union

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher L. House

    (University of Michigan & NBER)

  • Christian Proebsting

    (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne)

  • Linda L. Tesar

    (University of Michigan & NBER)

Abstract

Unemployment differentials are bigger in Europe than in the United States. Migration responds to unemployment differentials, though the response is smaller in Europe. Mundell (1961) argued that factor mobility is a precondition for a successful currency union. We use a multi-country DSGE model with cross-border migration and search frictions to quantify the benefits of increased labor mobility in Europe and compare this outcome to a case of fully flexible exchange rates. Labor mobility and flexible exchange rates both work to reduce unemployment and per capita GDP differentials across countries provided that monetary policy is sufficiently responsive to national output.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher L. House & Christian Proebsting & Linda L. Tesar, 2018. "Quantifying the Benefits of Labor Mobility in a Currency Union," Working Papers 671, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.
    • Handle: RePEc:mie:wpaper:671
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Knutsson, Polina, 2020. "Lasting Effects of an Import Shock: Channels of Adjustment," Working Papers 2020:3, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    2. Gaetano Basso & Francesco D’Amuri & Giovanni Peri, 2019. "Immigrants, Labor Market Dynamics and Adjustment to Shocks in the Euro Area," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 67(3), pages 528-572, September.
    3. Guilherme Bandeira & Jordi Caballe & Eugenia Vella, 2019. "Fiscal Austerity and Migration: A Missing Link," Working Papers 2019009, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
    4. Proebsting, Christian, 2022. "Market segmentation and spending multipliers," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 1-19.
    5. Hauser, Daniela & Seneca, Martin, 2022. "Labor mobility in a monetary union," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    6. Parsley, David & Popper, Helen, 2019. "GDP Synchronicity and Risk Sharing Channels in a Monetary Union: Blue State and Red States," MPRA Paper 98981, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Kuester, Keith & Jung, Philip & Ignaszak, Marek, 2020. "Federal unemployment reinsurance and local labor-market policies," CEPR Discussion Papers 15465, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Vassilis Monastiriotis & Stylianos Sakkas, 2021. "Employment mobility and labour market flexibility in the EU," JRC Working Papers on Territorial Modelling and Analysis 2021-01, Joint Research Centre.
    9. Christopher L. House & Christian Proebsting & Linda L. Tesar, 2020. "Regional Effects of Exchange Rate Fluctuations," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(S2), pages 429-463, December.
    10. Vasco Curdia & Fernanda Nechio, 2024. "Would the Euro Area Benefit from Greater Labor Mobility?," Working Paper Series 2024-06, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
    11. Helge Berger & Giovanni Dell’Ariccia & Maurice Obstfeld, 2019. "Revisiting the Economic Case for Fiscal Union in the Euro Area," IMF Economic Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Monetary Fund, vol. 67(3), pages 657-683, September.
    12. Poilly, Céline & Tripier, Fabien, 2025. "Regional trade policy uncertainty," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    13. Mathias Hoffmann & Lilia Ruslanova, 2020. "Softening the blow: U.S. state-level banking deregulation and sectoral reallocation after the China trade shock," ECON - Working Papers 365, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Apr 2021.
    14. Kohler, Wilhelm & Müller, Gernot J. & Wellmann, Susanne, 2023. "Risk sharing in currency unions: The migration channel," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    15. Poilly, Céline & Tripier, Fabien, 2025. "Reprint of: Regional trade policy uncertainty," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    16. Sargent, Kristina, 2024. "Unpacking migration costs: Heterogeneous effects in EU labor markets," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    17. David Parsley & Helen Popper, 2021. "Risk Sharing in a Politically Divided Monetary Union," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 649-669, September.
    18. Rémi Odry, 2020. "Academic Convergence and Migration: the effect of the BolognaProcess on European Mobility," EconomiX Working Papers 2020-24, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    19. Joseph-Simon Görlach & Katarina Kuske, 2022. "Temporary migration entails benefits, but also costs, for sending and receiving countries," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 503-503, November.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • F33 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Monetary Arrangements and Institutions
    • F45 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - Macroeconomic Issues of Monetary Unions

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