Immigration and Spatial Equilibrium: The Role of Expenditures in the Country of Origin

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Albert, Christoph; Monras, Joan
• 署名单位: Pompeu Fabra University; Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional (CREI)
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20211241
• 发表日期: 2022
• 页码: 3763-3802
• 关键词: labor; MIGRANTS; PRODUCTIVITY; determinants; remittances; migration; MARKETS; cities; GROWTH

摘要

We document that international migrants concentrate more in expen-sive cities-the more so, the lower the prices in their origin coun-tries are-and consume less locally than comparable natives. We rationalize this empirical evidence by introducing a quantitative spatial equilibrium model, in which a part of immigrants' income goes toward consumption in their origin countries. Using counter-factual simulations, we show that, due to this novel consumption channel, immigrants move economic activity toward expensive, high-productivity locations. This leads to a more efficient spatial allocation of labor and, as a result, increases the aggregate output and welfare of natives.