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Research ArticleArticles

Internal Migration, Education, and Intergenerational Mobility

Evidence from American History

View ORCID ProfileZachary Ward
Journal of Human Resources, November 2022, 57 (6) 1981-2011; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.2.0619-10265R2
Zachary Ward
Zachary Ward is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics at Baylor University ().
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ABSTRACT

To what extent does internal migration lead to upward mobility? Using within-brother variation and a new linked data set from the early 20th century, I show that internal migration led to significant gains in economic status. On average, the effect of migration was three to four times the effect of one year of education; for those raised in poorer households, the effect was up to ten times that of education. The evidence suggests that internal migration was a key strategy for intergenerational progress in a context of rapid industrialization, large rural-to-urban flows, and wide interregional income gaps.

JEL Classification:
  • J61
  • J62
  • N31
  • N32
  • Received June 2019.
  • Accepted August 2020.
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Journal of Human Resources: 57 (6)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 57, Issue 6
1 Nov 2022
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Internal Migration, Education, and Intergenerational Mobility
Zachary Ward
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2022, 57 (6) 1981-2011; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.2.0619-10265R2

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Internal Migration, Education, and Intergenerational Mobility
Zachary Ward
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2022, 57 (6) 1981-2011; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.2.0619-10265R2
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  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • I. Introduction
    • II. Data
    • III. Migration, Education, and Intergenerational Mobility
    • IV. The Migration Premium by Type of Move
    • V. Discussion and Conclusions
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Keywords

  • J61
  • J62
  • N31
  • N32
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