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Home, Sweet Home: Returns to Returning in the Age of Mass Migration

Ejermo, Olof LU orcid ; Enflo, Kerstin LU orcid ; Eriksson, Björn LU and Prawitz, Erik (2025) In American Economic Journal: Applied Economics p.47-88
Abstract
Despite significant circular migration flows historically and today, their economic impacts remain understudied. Using data on predominantly rural Swedish migrants who returned from the US during the Age of Mass Migration we estimate returns to temporary migration in terms of wealth, income, demographic and social outcomes. We find substantial wealth effects but limited evidence of increased labor income or occupational upgrading. Male returnees held nearly double the wealth of stayers, likely due to overseas savings, while female returnees gained wealth mainly through marriage. These findings highlight the need to consider wealth when evaluating the economic returns of temporary migration.
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
pages
47 - 88
publisher
American Economic Association
ISSN
1945-7782
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7a7dc49d-b83a-4707-97f6-e4f7f782437e
alternative location
https://swlb1.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20230253&&from=f
date added to LUP
2025-03-03 11:15:50
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:14:24
@article{7a7dc49d-b83a-4707-97f6-e4f7f782437e,
  abstract     = {{Despite significant circular migration flows historically and today, their economic impacts remain understudied. Using data on predominantly rural Swedish migrants who returned from the US during the Age of Mass Migration we estimate returns to temporary migration in terms of wealth, income, demographic and social outcomes. We find substantial wealth effects but limited evidence of increased labor income or occupational upgrading. Male returnees held nearly double the wealth of stayers, likely due to overseas savings, while female returnees gained wealth mainly through marriage. These findings highlight the need to consider wealth when evaluating the economic returns of temporary migration.}},
  author       = {{Ejermo, Olof and Enflo, Kerstin and Eriksson, Björn and Prawitz, Erik}},
  issn         = {{1945-7782}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  pages        = {{47--88}},
  publisher    = {{American Economic Association}},
  series       = {{American Economic Journal: Applied Economics}},
  title        = {{Home, Sweet Home: Returns to Returning in the Age of Mass Migration}},
  url          = {{https://swlb1.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/app.20230253&&from=f}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}