Migration and Gender: Who Gains and in Which Ways?

Motu Working Paper 17-08

39 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2017

See all articles by Kate Preston

Kate Preston

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research

Arthur Grimes

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust

Date Written: April 18, 2017

Abstract

Empirical studies have consistently documented that while married men tend to lead more prosperous careers after moving than before, migration tends to be disruptive for the careers of married women. However, there has been little exploration of the interaction of non-economic outcomes of migration by gender and relationship-status. We explore whether migration is followed by a change in subjective wellbeing (SWB), and how this experience differs by individuals of different gender and relationship-status. These results are compared to wage differences following migration. We further analyse how outcomes differ according to the motivation for moving, including motivations for moving of both partners in a couple relationship. Our empirical estimates use longitudinal data on internal migrants in the Australian HILDA dataset. We show that females have a stronger tendency than males to reach higher levels of SWB after moving, while males have a stronger tendency than females to increase their earnings. These gender differences are mostly not significant for single individuals, but become quite pronounced for couples. Differences tend to narrow, but do not disappear, once we account for motivations for moving of individuals and, where relevant, of their partner. In particular, those who move for work-related reasons experience higher wage incomes after moving, regardless of gender or relationship-status.

Keywords: Migration, gender, relationship-status, subjective wellbeing, wages

JEL Classification: D13, I31, J16, J22, R23

Suggested Citation

Preston, Kate and Grimes, Arthur, Migration and Gender: Who Gains and in Which Ways? (April 18, 2017). Motu Working Paper 17-08, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2954850 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2954850

Kate Preston (Contact Author)

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research ( email )

Level 1, 93 Cuba Street
P.O. Box 24390
Wellington, 6142
New Zealand

Arthur Grimes

Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust ( email )

19 Milne Terrace
Island Bay
Wellington 6002
New Zealand

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