Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/193388 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12094
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This paper reexamines the literature on the impact of migration on household members left behind at origin. The empirical problem previous studies address is the self-selection of households into migration, i.e. the endogenous decision as to whether or not send a migrant. Yet, the subsequent selection of which family members migrate and which stay behind generates additional identification problems that have remained largely ignored. To tackle this second form of selectivity within the households, I model the behavior of families using latent stratification and potential outcome (Imbens and Angrist, 1994; Rubin, 1974). I show that the point-identification of the causal impact of migration requires strong behavioral assumptions rarely satisfied even with ideal experimental data. As a practical solution, I derive non parametric bounds under different sets of weaker assumptions. Using Mexican panel data, I show that standard estimates ignoring the intra-household selection into migration may suffer from substantial bias.
Subjects: 
selectivity
migration
sample selection
bounds
principal stratification
JEL: 
C21
F22
J61
O15
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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