Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16162
Authors: Timothy Hatton
Abstract: This paper revisits the determinants of emigration from the UK to the USA, Canada andAustralia/New Zealand from 1870 to 1913. In the absence of restrictive immigration policies,the flow of emigration to these destinations responded to economic shocks and trends.Emigrants to Australia and New Zealand were more skilled on average than those headingacross the Atlantic, a feature that does not correspond well with skill differentials in themanner predicted by the Roy model. While assisted passages (subsidised fares) increased thevolume of emigration to Australia and New Zealand they cannot account for its higher skillcontent.
Keywords: UK emigration; nineteenth century; migrant skills
JEL Codes: J61; N11; N13; O15
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| real wage rates (J39) | emigration rate (F22) |
| business cycle shocks (E32) | emigration rate (F22) |
| migrant stock (F22) | emigration rate (F22) |
| assisted passage schemes (J68) | volume of emigration (F22) |
| assisted passage schemes (J68) | skill content of migrants (J61) |