Effect of export opportunity on the demand for skilled migrants and their next generation's education: Evidence from China

Abstract

This paper examines whether increased export opportunity improved the relative demand for skilled labors in China's migrants, and whether such effects further improved their investments in their next generation's education. To answer these questions, by employing the National Migrant Monitoring Data, Manufacturing Enterprise Survey, China Customs Database and China's Population survey data, and using international demand shocks to construct instrumental variables, we find that export opportunities do increase the demand for skilled migrants, their wages and the probability that they bring their school-age children to cities. These results indicate that export opportunities not only increase the demand and return for skilled migrants, but also promote the accumulation of human capital for the next generation.

Keywords

• Export opportunity
• Skilled migrants
• Human capital investment