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The more the merrier? Migration and convergence among European regions

  • Lorenz Benedikt Fischer
  • , Michael Pfaffermayr

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

A spatial system of equations for regional income growth and migration allows to identify the impact of migration on regional income convergence despite the dependence of migration rates on initial income per worker. Using a spatial systems estimator, we find a significant positive effect of migration on income convergence within the European Union on the NUTS 2 level. As migration is generally observed from low to high income regions, growth rates of income per worker tend to decrease in regions experiencing net immigration, while lagging regions experience higher speeds of income convergence due to net emigration. As a consequence, migration increases σ-convergence by about 0.45 percentage points.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)103-114
Number of pages12
JournalRegional Science and Urban Economics
Volume72
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2018

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

Fields of science

  • 303010 Health economics
  • 502 Economics
  • 502002 Labour economics
  • 502009 Corporate finance
  • 502021 Microeconomics
  • 502042 Environmental economics
  • 502047 Economic theory
  • 504014 Gender studies
  • 507016 Regional economy
  • 405002 Agricultural economics
  • 502001 Labour market policy
  • 502003 Foreign trade
  • 502010 Public finance
  • 502012 Industrial management
  • 502013 Industrial economics
  • 502018 Macroeconomics
  • 502020 Market research
  • 502025 Econometrics
  • 502027 Political economy
  • 502039 Structural policy
  • 502046 Economic policy
  • 506004 European integration

JKU Focus areas

  • Social Systems, Markets and Welfare States
  • Social and Economic Sciences (in general)

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