Migration and co-residence choices: Evidence from Mexico

Abstract

The migration literature typically assumes that the migration of a household member is not associated with further variations in co-residence choices. We rely on a Mexican panel survey to provide novel evidence on the correlation between the occurrence of an international migration episode and changes in household composition. Migrant households have a higher probability of receiving a new member within one year around the migration episode. Attrition is significantly higher among migrant households, and we provide evidence that this is partly due to the dissolution of the household of origin of the migrant. The endogeneity of co-residence choices induces an undercount of migration episodes, as shown with data from the 2000 Census. This has implications for the analysis of migrant selection and of the effects on the individuals left behind. Dealing with these analytical challenges requires an approach to data collection that is less dependent on variations in household composition.

Easy come, easy go? Economic shocks, labor migration and the family left behind

“…women may join from the extended family network or someone being hired as care giver for the children or elderly. Bertoli and Murard (2020) find evidence for this in the context of Mexico. tion spells.…”

Cash Transfers and Migration: Theory and Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Selective household dissolution A similar concern is related to household dissolution and migration. As shown by Bertoli and Murard (2019), the migration of an individual increases the probability that his or her household of origin dissolves subsequently. Because the program was targeted at the household level, beneficiary households may have had an incentive to preserve their living arrangements after the migration of a household member, thus being relatively less likely to dissolve.…”

Cash Transfers and Migration: Theory and Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Selective household dissolution A similar concern is related to household dissolution and migration. As shown by Bertoli and Murard (2019), the migration of an individual increases the probability that his or her household of origin dissolves subsequently. Because the program was targeted at the household level, beneficiary households may have had an incentive to preserve their living arrangements after the mi-gration of a household member, thus being relatively less likely to dissolve.…”