Carlo Lombardo, Julian Martinez-Correa, Leonardo Peñaloza-Pacheco, Leonardo Gasparini
We examine how the massive exodus of Venezuelans and an amnesty program aimed at their integration affected income distribution in Colombia. Using RIF regressions in an instrumental variables approach, we find that the exodus had a negative effect on the lower tail of native Colombians’ income distribution, while the amnesty program partially mitigated this impact. Our findings posit downgrading as the driving mechanism. Employment restrictions forced Venezuelan migrants into lower-paying, more routinized jobs despite their qualifications, exacerbating pressures on the low-skilled labor segment in Colombia. The regularization program mitigated the extent of downgrading, thereby alleviating the unequalizing impact of migration.
{"title":"From displacement to integration: mitigating the distributional effect of immigration through an amnesty program","authors":"Carlo Lombardo, Julian Martinez-Correa, Leonardo Peñaloza-Pacheco, Leonardo Gasparini","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf014","url":null,"abstract":"We examine how the massive exodus of Venezuelans and an amnesty program aimed at their integration affected income distribution in Colombia. Using RIF regressions in an instrumental variables approach, we find that the exodus had a negative effect on the lower tail of native Colombians’ income distribution, while the amnesty program partially mitigated this impact. Our findings posit downgrading as the driving mechanism. Employment restrictions forced Venezuelan migrants into lower-paying, more routinized jobs despite their qualifications, exacerbating pressures on the low-skilled labor segment in Colombia. The regularization program mitigated the extent of downgrading, thereby alleviating the unequalizing impact of migration.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cities are characterized by high skill levels and workers improve their skills through learning. This article presents novel stylized facts on learning behavior and cities. I use Japanese survey data that provide distinctively rich first-hand information about the frequency, purpose, and subject of off-the-job learning. First, people engage in learning more frequently in denser cities. Second, people in denser cities are more likely to learn to gain new employment or cultivate themselves. Third, while cities tend to facilitate learning of skills required in skill-intensive sectors, what people learn depends on the local demand for skills.
{"title":"Off-the-job learning in cities","authors":"Atsushi Yamagishi","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf016","url":null,"abstract":"Cities are characterized by high skill levels and workers improve their skills through learning. This article presents novel stylized facts on learning behavior and cities. I use Japanese survey data that provide distinctively rich first-hand information about the frequency, purpose, and subject of off-the-job learning. First, people engage in learning more frequently in denser cities. Second, people in denser cities are more likely to learn to gain new employment or cultivate themselves. Third, while cities tend to facilitate learning of skills required in skill-intensive sectors, what people learn depends on the local demand for skills.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143818964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article investigates the relationship between child sex abuse scandals and migration aspirations. We consider individual survey data from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico over the period 2010–15, and we exploit the region of residence and the date of the interview of respondents to estimate the effect of region-specific time-varying pedophilia scandals in the Catholic Church on migration aspirations. Estimates show that exposure to scandals is an important determinant for migration aspirations, especially for young adults. Investigating the channels, we find that scandals increase concerns about child well-being and decrease the confidence in national institutions.
{"title":"For children’s sake: the effects of child abuse scandals on migration aspirations","authors":"Annalisa Frigo, Elisabetta Lodigiani","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf013","url":null,"abstract":"This article investigates the relationship between child sex abuse scandals and migration aspirations. We consider individual survey data from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico over the period 2010–15, and we exploit the region of residence and the date of the interview of respondents to estimate the effect of region-specific time-varying pedophilia scandals in the Catholic Church on migration aspirations. Estimates show that exposure to scandals is an important determinant for migration aspirations, especially for young adults. Investigating the channels, we find that scandals increase concerns about child well-being and decrease the confidence in national institutions.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Global production networks (GPNs) are a ubiquitous mode of industrial organization. This article advances the theorization of GPN formation. By focusing on the catalytic effect of seemingly unrelated crises that occur in different fields, it demonstrates the value of a conjunctural approach. Situated crises generate a mid-level thrust toward GPN formation, spurring new inter-regional and inter-firm relations. The study makes this point by using an under-studied case: the formation of India’s information-technology (IT) industry. It melds a practice-based, actor-strategy view of network creation (GPN framework) with a focus on crisis (conjunctural analysis). Thus, strengthening both macro/structural and micro/situated approaches to GPNs and their formation.
{"title":"A conjunctural approach to global production networks: the case of India’s software services industry","authors":"Devika Narayan","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf012","url":null,"abstract":"Global production networks (GPNs) are a ubiquitous mode of industrial organization. This article advances the theorization of GPN formation. By focusing on the catalytic effect of seemingly unrelated crises that occur in different fields, it demonstrates the value of a conjunctural approach. Situated crises generate a mid-level thrust toward GPN formation, spurring new inter-regional and inter-firm relations. The study makes this point by using an under-studied case: the formation of India’s information-technology (IT) industry. It melds a practice-based, actor-strategy view of network creation (GPN framework) with a focus on crisis (conjunctural analysis). Thus, strengthening both macro/structural and micro/situated approaches to GPNs and their formation.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143546774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We propose a cross-nested logit (CNL) approach to investigate how individuals adjust their migration decisions in response to changes in the global landscape. In contrast to the widely used logit model, the CNL enables more intricate substitution patterns among destinations. Leveraging migration aspiration data from India, we demonstrate that the CNL approach outperforms competing approaches in terms of model fit and predictive accuracy. It reveals greater heterogeneity in responses to shocks, and uncovers intricate and intuitive substitution patterns. Our analysis underscores the limited substitutability between the home and foreign alternatives, as well as within specific subgroups of destination countries.
{"title":"New York, Abu Dhabi, London, or stay at home? Using a cross-nested logit model to identify complex substitution patterns in migration","authors":"Michel Beine, Michel Bierlaire, Frédéric Docquier","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf007","url":null,"abstract":"We propose a cross-nested logit (CNL) approach to investigate how individuals adjust their migration decisions in response to changes in the global landscape. In contrast to the widely used logit model, the CNL enables more intricate substitution patterns among destinations. Leveraging migration aspiration data from India, we demonstrate that the CNL approach outperforms competing approaches in terms of model fit and predictive accuracy. It reveals greater heterogeneity in responses to shocks, and uncovers intricate and intuitive substitution patterns. Our analysis underscores the limited substitutability between the home and foreign alternatives, as well as within specific subgroups of destination countries.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143546775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
From 1930 to 1939, a devastating drought affected the USA. To study environmentally induced migration, I develop datasets of environmental conditions (drought, heat, and precipitation) and census data between 1930 and 1940. My analysis shows that people moved from drought during the early and late 1930s. County-level environmental-related depopulation resulted from increased out-migration and decreased in-migration. At the individual level, all occupational categories (farm labor, farmers, general labor, skilled labor, and white collar) moved from severe environmental conditions, though the response varied depending on rural status. Individuals near cities, but not in the cities themselves, were typically the most mobile in response to shocks. While severe conditions impacted migration across much of the Western USA, the Great Plains states witnessed the most dramatic population declines. My findings provide a detailed view of the environmental forces driving 1930s migration, demonstrate responsiveness across labor sectors, and highlight where people left due to environmental conditions.
{"title":"Environmental migration during the Great American Drought","authors":"Christopher Sichko","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf006","url":null,"abstract":"From 1930 to 1939, a devastating drought affected the USA. To study environmentally induced migration, I develop datasets of environmental conditions (drought, heat, and precipitation) and census data between 1930 and 1940. My analysis shows that people moved from drought during the early and late 1930s. County-level environmental-related depopulation resulted from increased out-migration and decreased in-migration. At the individual level, all occupational categories (farm labor, farmers, general labor, skilled labor, and white collar) moved from severe environmental conditions, though the response varied depending on rural status. Individuals near cities, but not in the cities themselves, were typically the most mobile in response to shocks. While severe conditions impacted migration across much of the Western USA, the Great Plains states witnessed the most dramatic population declines. My findings provide a detailed view of the environmental forces driving 1930s migration, demonstrate responsiveness across labor sectors, and highlight where people left due to environmental conditions.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143125201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Francesco Barilari, Davide Bellucci, Pierluigi Conzo, Roberto Zotti
Several studies document that exposure to actual immigration affects political outcomes. This article examines, instead, the influence of expected immigration, using data from local elections in Italy. We develop an index of potential exposure to pre-electoral sea arrivals, which varies over time and space depending on immigrants’ nationality. We find that such potential exposure causes a decrease in turnout and an increase in protest votes, shifting valid votes toward extreme-right parties. Support for populist and anti-immigration parties increased in highly exposed municipalities, where voters believed that the new inflow of refugees would increase the local stock of immigrants. However, Twitter data show that these expectations do not reflect actual immigration trends; immigration salience rises mainly during the election period, while most arrivals occur months later. This suggests that, around elections, informal media can bias people’s expectations and, consequently, influence voting behavior.
{"title":"The political effects of (mis)perceived immigration","authors":"Francesco Barilari, Davide Bellucci, Pierluigi Conzo, Roberto Zotti","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf003","url":null,"abstract":"Several studies document that exposure to actual immigration affects political outcomes. This article examines, instead, the influence of expected immigration, using data from local elections in Italy. We develop an index of potential exposure to pre-electoral sea arrivals, which varies over time and space depending on immigrants’ nationality. We find that such potential exposure causes a decrease in turnout and an increase in protest votes, shifting valid votes toward extreme-right parties. Support for populist and anti-immigration parties increased in highly exposed municipalities, where voters believed that the new inflow of refugees would increase the local stock of immigrants. However, Twitter data show that these expectations do not reflect actual immigration trends; immigration salience rises mainly during the election period, while most arrivals occur months later. This suggests that, around elections, informal media can bias people’s expectations and, consequently, influence voting behavior.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143030846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The mechanisms through which voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) become effective as means of private governance and how they influence power relations in global production networks (GPNs) of certified goods are not well understood. Focussing on the last mile of VSS’ travel, we scrutinize the discursive dimension of power as it operates through the translation of Fairtrade in a local contact zone, namely Fairtrade trainings with workers at Indian tea plantations. Drawing on insights from postcolonial translation studies and actor-network-theory we show that the ways in which VSS are translated by cultural brokers are critical to processes of (dis)empowerment of workers. By showing how translation informs discursive power, our research offers a novel framework to unpack the power structures associated with private regulation as set within the context of multi-polar governance structures and the postcolonial legacies of places.
{"title":"Translating Fairtrade. Contact zones and discursive power in the global production network of certified Darjeeling tea","authors":"Miriam Wenner, Andri Heidler","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf004","url":null,"abstract":"The mechanisms through which voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) become effective as means of private governance and how they influence power relations in global production networks (GPNs) of certified goods are not well understood. Focussing on the last mile of VSS’ travel, we scrutinize the discursive dimension of power as it operates through the translation of Fairtrade in a local contact zone, namely Fairtrade trainings with workers at Indian tea plantations. Drawing on insights from postcolonial translation studies and actor-network-theory we show that the ways in which VSS are translated by cultural brokers are critical to processes of (dis)empowerment of workers. By showing how translation informs discursive power, our research offers a novel framework to unpack the power structures associated with private regulation as set within the context of multi-polar governance structures and the postcolonial legacies of places.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"120 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143030847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Digital work environments potentially facilitate remote collaboration, thereby decreasing geographic friction in knowledge work. I examine spatial collaboration of 190,637 software developers in the USA on the largest coding platform, GitHub. Using a gravity framework that accounts for cluster size, I find that colocated developers collaborate about nine times more frequently than non-colocated developers. This colocation effect is about two to four times smaller than in less digital settings in inventor or social networks. Increased distance beyond colocation has little impact on collaboration. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate the colocation effect is smaller within large organizations, among experienced developers, and for sporadic interactions. Results suggest geographic proximity is less important for collaboration in digital knowledge work.
{"title":"Bit by bit: colocation and the death of distance in software developer networks","authors":"Moritz Goldbeck","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf002","url":null,"abstract":"Digital work environments potentially facilitate remote collaboration, thereby decreasing geographic friction in knowledge work. I examine spatial collaboration of 190,637 software developers in the USA on the largest coding platform, GitHub. Using a gravity framework that accounts for cluster size, I find that colocated developers collaborate about nine times more frequently than non-colocated developers. This colocation effect is about two to four times smaller than in less digital settings in inventor or social networks. Increased distance beyond colocation has little impact on collaboration. Heterogeneity analyses demonstrate the colocation effect is smaller within large organizations, among experienced developers, and for sporadic interactions. Results suggest geographic proximity is less important for collaboration in digital knowledge work.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"139 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143030849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Researchers have explored various place-based policies for promoting economic growth, but the long-term effects and drivers of successful policies have not been thoroughly studied. In this article, we first document significant heterogeneity in growth trends between early and late national development zones in China. Then, we develop a theoretical framework to analyze the influence of their establishment timing on the spatial equilibrium dynamics. Using new archival data and novel empirical strategies, we demonstrate that the early zones consistently have higher firm entries, innovation, and labor pooling. These results highlight the importance of agglomeration for the long-term success of place-based policies.
{"title":"Place-based policies: first-mover advantage and persistence","authors":"Ying Chen, Teng Huang, Xiaochen Xie","doi":"10.1093/jeg/lbaf001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbaf001","url":null,"abstract":"Researchers have explored various place-based policies for promoting economic growth, but the long-term effects and drivers of successful policies have not been thoroughly studied. In this article, we first document significant heterogeneity in growth trends between early and late national development zones in China. Then, we develop a theoretical framework to analyze the influence of their establishment timing on the spatial equilibrium dynamics. Using new archival data and novel empirical strategies, we demonstrate that the early zones consistently have higher firm entries, innovation, and labor pooling. These results highlight the importance of agglomeration for the long-term success of place-based policies.","PeriodicalId":48251,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Economic Geography","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142989596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}