Europe's Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses: Self-Selection and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration

Ran Abramitzky (), Leah Boustan and Katherine Eriksson ()
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Ran Abramitzky: Stanford University

No 09-029, Discussion Papers from Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: The Age of Mass Migration (1850-1913) was among the largest migration episodes in history. Unlike today, the United States maintained an open border in this era. We compile a novel dataset of Norway-to-US migrants and estimate the return to migration while accounting for migrant selection. Our first method compares migrants to their brothers who remained in Norway; our second exploits the fact that, under primogeniture, older sons in land-owning families were less likely to migrate. We find that these migrants, unhindered by entry restrictions, were negatively selected from the sending population, and that the return to migration was relatively low.

Keywords: Mirgation; Selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J61 N30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-08
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Europe's Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses: Self-Selection and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration (2012)
Working Paper: Europe's Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses: Self-Selection and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sip:dpaper:09-029

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