Internal Migration in the United States

Raven Molloy, Christopher Smith and Abigail Wozniak

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2011, vol. 25, issue 3, 173-96

Abstract: This paper examines the history of internal migration in the United States since the 1980s. By most measures, internal migration in the United States is at a 30-year low. The widespread decline in migration rates across a large number of subpopulations suggests that broad-based economic forces are likely responsible for the decrease. An obvious question is the extent to which the recent housing market contraction and the recession may have caused this downward trend in migration: after all, relocation activity often involves both housing market activity and changes in employment. However, we find relatively small roles for both of these cyclical factors. While we will suggest a few other possible explanations for the recent decrease in migration, the puzzle remains. Finally, we compare U.S. migration to other developed countries. Despite the steady decline in U.S. migration, the commonly held belief that Americans are more mobile than their European counterparts still appears to hold true.

JEL-codes: E32 R21 R23 R31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.25.3.173
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (347)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Internal migration in the United States (2011)
Working Paper: Internal Migration in the United States (2011)
Working Paper: Internal Migration in the United States (2011)
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