Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP14316
Authors: Michela Carlana; Marco Tabellini
Abstract: We study the effects of immigration on natives' marriage, fertility, and family formation across US cities between 1910 and 1930 using a shift-share design. We find that natives living in cities that received more immigrants were more likely to marry, have kids, and leave the parental house earlier. Our evidence suggests that the positive impact of immigration on native men's employment, which increased the supply of native "marriageable men'', contributed to generate these patterns. Instead, alternative channels - changes in sex ratios, natives' cultural reactions, and economic competition for native women - are unlikely to, alone, explain our results.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: J12; J13; J61; N32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Immigration (F22) | Natives' marriage rates (J12) |
| Immigration (F22) | Probability of having children for native men and women (J19) |
| Natives' marriage rates (J12) | Earlier marriage and family formation (J12) |
| Immigration (F22) | Young natives leaving parental homes earlier (J12) |
| Immigration (F22) | Increase in homeownership among native men aged 20-35 (R21) |