Working Paper: NBER ID: w21384
Authors: William J Collins; Marianne H Wanamaker
Abstract: We construct datasets of linked census records to study internal migrants’ selection and destination choices during the first decades of the “Great Migration” (1910-1930). We study both whites and blacks and intra- and inter-regional migration. While there is some evidence of positive selection, the degree of selection was small and participation in migration was widespread. Differences in background, including initial location, cannot account for racial differences in destination choices. Blacks and whites were similarly responsive to pre-existing migrant stocks from their home state, but black men were more deterred by distance, attracted to manufacturing, and responsive to labor demand.
Keywords: Great Migration; Internal Migration; Labor Market; Black Migration; White Migration
JEL Codes: J10; J61; N32
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| positive selection into interstate migration among both white and black migrants (R23) | higher occupational status prior to migration (J62) |
| black men more deterred by distance (R23) | migration behavior (F22) |
| black men more attracted to manufacturing centers (R23) | migration behavior (F22) |
| black men more responsive to labor demand growth (J79) | migration behavior (F22) |
| differences in background characteristics (I24) | observed black-white differences in migration outcomes (J61) |
| other factors related to perceived opportunities and migration costs (R23) | differences in migration patterns between black and white migrants (R23) |