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Self-Selection of Emigrants: Theory and Evidence on Stochastic Dominance in Observable and Unobservable Characteristics

George Borjas, Ilpo Kauppinen and Panu Poutvaara

No 67, Working Papers from VATT Institute for Economic Research

Abstract: We show that the Roy model has more precise predictions about the self-selection of migrants than previously realized. The same conditions that have been shown to result in positive or negative selection in terms of expected earnings also imply a stochastic dominance relationship between the earnings distributions of migrants and non-migrants. We use the Danish full population administrative data to test the predictions. We find strong evidence of positive self-selection of emigrants in terms of pre-emigration earnings: the income distribution for the migrants almost stochastically dominates the distribution for the non-migrants. This result is not driven by immigration policies in destination countries. Decomposing the self-selection in total earnings into self-selection in observable characteristics and self-selection in unobservable characteristics reveals that unobserved abilities play the dominant role.

Keywords: International migration, Roy model, Self-selection, Income distribution, Tulonjako, Labour market, Työmarkkinat, F220 - International Migration, J610 - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers, (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-mig
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.doria.fi/handle/10024/148731

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Working Paper: Self-Selection of Emigrants: Theory and Evidence on Stochastic Dominance in Observable and Unobservable Characteristics (2015) Downloads
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