The Impact of Regional Return on Education on the Self-selection of Mexican Immigrants

• Main Author: Chen, Warren
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2019
• Subjects: Education; Mexico; Econometrics; Growth and Development; Labor Economics
• Online Access: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2005; https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3152&context=cmc_theses

This paper uses the 2010 Mexican Population and Housing Survey to examine the role of regional return to education on migrant selection. The study uses a standard linear regression model to predict the educational attainment of migrants and compares it to the educational attainment of non-migrants in each Mexican State. It finds evidence of negative selection, that less educated Mexican citizens are more likely to migrate to the United States. It also finds little evidence of the impact of regional return to education on migrant selection. The study offers potential explanations for the lack of impact and suggests avenues for continued study.