Home Sweet Home: Returns to Returning in the Age of Mass Migration

Olof Ejermo, Kerstin Enflo, Björn Eriksson and Erik Prawitz

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 29-59

Abstract: Despite significant circular migration flows historically and today, their economic impacts remain understudied. Using data on predominantly rural Swedish migrants who returned from the United States during the Age of Mass Migration, we estimate returns to temporary migration in terms of wealth, income, demographic, and social outcomes. We find substantial wealth effects but limited evidence of increased labor income or occupational upgrading. Male returnees held nearly double the wealth of stayers, likely due to overseas savings, while female returnees gained wealth mainly through marriage. These findings highlight the need to consider wealth when evaluating the economic returns of temporary migration.

JEL-codes: F22 G51 J15 J16 N31 N33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1257/app.20230253

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