Mobile phone network and migration: evidence from Myanmar

Riccardo Ciacci, Jorge García-Hombrados and Ayesha Zainudeen
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jorge Garcia Hombrados

No WP-2020-016, MPIDR Working Papers from Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany

Abstract: This study explores the effect of the expansion of mobile phone signal on migrationdecisions in Myanmar. The empirical strategy proposed follows Manacorda and Tesei (2019) and Andersen et al. (2011), it uses variation in lightning frequency across spaceas an instrumental variable for the expansion of mobile phone signal. Our results suggest that longer exposure to mobile phone network decreases migration. Specifically, an increase of 1 s.d. in the time exposed to mobile phone signal diminishes the probability of household members to migrate by 17%. We find empirical evidencesuggesting that such findings are driven by the positive effects of access to mobilephone signal on labor market outcomes and on perceived well-being.

Keywords: Burma/Myanmar; migration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J1 Z0 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 28 pages
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mig, nep-pay and nep-sea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dem:wpaper:wp-2020-016

DOI: 10.4054/MPIDR-WP-2020-016

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