The Selection of Migrants and Returnees: Evidence from Romania and Implications

44 Pages Posted: 4 Apr 2011 Last revised: 19 Mar 2025

See all articles by William Ambrosini

William Ambrosini

Amazon.com, Inc.

Karin Mayr

University of Linz - Department of Economics

Giovanni Peri

University of California, Davis - Department of Economics

Dragos Radu

King’s College London; Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI)

Date Written: March 2011

Abstract

This paper uses census and survey data to identify the wage earning ability and the selectivity of recent Romanian migrants and returnees. We construct measures of selection across skill groups and estimate the average and the skills-specific premium for migration and return for three typical destinations of Romanian migrants after 1990. We find evidence for a sorting of migrants consistent with skill compensation in destination countries. The premium to return migration increases with migrants' skills and drives the positive selection of returnees. Based on the rationality of these migration decisions, a model of education, migration and return predicts positive long-run effects of increased migration for average skills and wages in Romania.

Suggested Citation

Ambrosini, William and Mayr, Karin and Peri, Giovanni and Radu, Dragos, The Selection of Migrants and Returnees: Evidence from Romania and Implications (March 2011). NBER Working Paper No. w16912, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1801082

William Ambrosini (Contact Author)

Amazon.com, Inc. ( email )

Seattle, WA 98144
United States

Karin Mayr

University of Linz - Department of Economics ( email )

Altenbergerstr. 69
A-4040 Linz, Uper Austria 4040
Austria

Giovanni Peri

University of California, Davis - Department of Economics ( email )

One Shields Drive
Davis, CA 95616-8578
United States
530-752-3033 (Phone)
530-752-9382 (Fax)

Dragos Radu

King’s College London ( email )

Strand
London, England WC2R 2LS
United Kingdom

Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) ( email )

Heimhuder Strasse 71
Hamburg, DE Hamburg 20148
Germany

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