Understanding Migration Aversion Using Elicited Counterfactual Choice Probabilities

Gizem Kosar, Tyler Ransom and Wilbert van der Klaauw

No 8117, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: This paper investigates how migration and location choice decisions depend on a large set of location characteristics, with particular focus on measuring the importance and nature of the non-monetary cost of moving. We employ a stated-preference approach to elicit respondents’ choice probabilities for a set of hypothetical choice scenarios, using two waves from the NY Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations. Our hypothetical choice methodology elicits choice probabilities from which we recover the distribution of individual-level preferences for location and mobility attributes without concerns about omitted variables and selection biases that hamper analyses based on observed mobility choices alone. We estimate substantial heterogeneity in the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for location characteristics, both across and within demographic groups. Our results also indicate evidence of sorting into current locations based on preferences for these attributes as well as a strong negative association between respondents’ non-monetary moving costs and their moving expectations and actual mobility decisions.

Keywords: subjective probabilities; stated choice methodology; migration; location choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D84 J61 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dcm, nep-upt and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Understanding migration aversion using elicited counterfactual choice probabilities (2022)
Working Paper: Understanding migration aversion using elicited counterfactual choice probabilities (2019)
Working Paper: Understanding Migration Aversion using Elicited Counterfactual Choice Probabilities (2019)
Working Paper: Understanding Migration Aversion Using Elicited Counterfactual Choice Probabilities (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_8117

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