Forced migration and mortality

Thomas Bauer (), Matthias Giesecke and Laura M. Janisch

No 713, Ruhr Economic Papers from RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen

Abstract: We examine the long-run effects of forced migration from Eastern Europe into postwar Germany. Existing evidence suggests that displaced individuals are worse off economically, facing a considerably lower income and a higher unemployment risk than comparable natives even twenty years after being expelled. We extend this literature by investigating the relative performance of forced migrants across the entire life cycle. Using social security records that document the exact date of death and a proxy for pre-retirement lifetime earnings, we estimate a significantly and considerably higher mortality risk among forced migrants compared to native West-Germans. The adverse displacement effect persists throughout the earnings distribution except for the top quintile. Although forced migrants are generally worse off regarding mortality outcomes, those with successful labor market histories seem to overcome the longlasting negative consequences of flight and expulsion.

Keywords: forced migration; differential mortality; lifetime earnings; economic history (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J61 O15 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-mig
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/170700/1/1000717887.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Forced Migration and Mortality (2017)
Working Paper: Forced Migration and Mortality (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:rwirep:713

DOI: 10.4419/86788832

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