The impact of age upon interregional migration
The Annals of Regional Science
|November 1, 1981
Summary
Migration decisions are heavily influenced by age. Economic factors decrease in importance with age, while the "friends and relatives effect" remains crucial for all age groups, especially for older individuals.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Economics
- Demography
Background:
- Migration is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors.
- Understanding age-specific migration patterns is crucial for policy and planning.
- Previous research has not fully explored the differential impact of age on migration determinants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of age on migration decisions.
- To analyze how the importance of different explanatory variables changes across age groups.
- To test a model of migration as an investment decision.
Main Methods:
- Estimation of identically specified migration equations for six distinct age groups.
- Empirical testing using U.S. inter-regional migration data from 1965 to 1970.
- Analysis of variables including economic opportunity differentials and lagged migration.
Main Results:
- The influence of economic opportunity differentials on migration significantly decreases with advancing age.
- The 'friends and relatives effect' (lagged migration) is consistently the most significant predictor across all age groups.
- For individuals aged 65 and over, past migration is the sole statistically significant explanatory variable.
Conclusions:
- Age is a critical factor moderating the determinants of migration.
- Social networks and prior migration experience play a more enduring role than economic factors in later life.
- Migration behavior is best understood as an investment decision with age-dependent returns.
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