The role of public services quality in shaping migration intentions in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe

Anna Raggl

Focus on European Economic Integration, 2022, issue Q3/22, 7-30

Abstract: What role does the quality of public services play in shaping migration intentions? Using OeNB Euro Survey data collected in 2018, we study the impact of individual perceptions of public services quality on individuals’ migration intentions in ten Central, Eastern and Southeastern European (CESEE) countries. We apply ordinary least squares (OLS) as well as instrumental variable (IV) estimations, using externally merged infrastructure-related variables and individuals’ opinions on the adequacy of public spending on services as instrumental variables. Our findings suggest that dissatisfaction with the quality of public services in the home countries increases the likelihood of individuals having migration intentions. Broken down by the type of public service, we find that dissatisfaction with social security, health, public infrastructure and with services that target businesses and regional development is associated with higher migration aspirations. Furthermore, for people with young children, we see a higher effect on migration intentions resulting from dissatisfaction with education, health and public safety. For self-employed individuals, the effect of dissatisfaction with public services that address companies and regional development is particularly important. The results further confirm that sociodemographic characteristics, economic factors and network effects are closely associated with the aspiration to move abroad.

Keywords: migration intentions; quality of public services; Central; Eastern and Southeastern Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 J61 O52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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