Economia Aplicada (Sep 2016)

Self-Selection of Return Migrants in Brazil and Inequality

  • Silvio H. T. Tai,
  • Ana Carolina B. M. Ribeiro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.11606/1413-8050/ea146640
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 3

Abstract

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This paper investigates self-selection of returnees migrants in Brazil, from 2001 to 2010. We find evidence of the impact of inequality on selfselection through two opposing channels. First, migrations costs prevent low-skilled individuals from emigrating, which support positive selection. This selection is accentuated in locations with high inequality. Secondly, we find that low-skilled individuals have wage incentives to emigrate from states with relative high inequality, implying a negative impact on selection. All in all, we find more important effects of migration costs, with the predominance of positive selection

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