Most empirical studies of individual migration choice analyse factors associated with out-migration from an origin location. In contrast, we model the migration decision within the context of potential destinations, combining British panel data over the period 1992–2007 with other data sources. Contrary to earlier micro studies we show that differences in house prices levels (but not growth) ar...

In this paper, we analyze family labor supply in urban China using discretized neo-classical labor supply model, where we take into account the unobserved heterogeneity of each spouse and their correlation, unobservability and measurement errors of the wage rates, and the correlation of the wage and preferences. The correlation of preference between spouses is also taken into account. Elasticit...

We study the long-term effect of becoming a refugee on employment, income and later mobility. After the World War II, Finland ceded a tenth of its land area to the Soviet Union. The entire population in the ceded areas were settled into the remaining parts of the country. Using individual-level panel data, we find that forced migration increased longterm income. The effect is strongest among me...

This paper attempts to detect the existence of links in consumption preferences between generations. Preferences for consumption goods may be determined by the preferences of parents (vertical transmission) and/or by preferences arising from the environment (horizontal transmission). We propose an indirect methodology to overcome the lack of data on consumption choices of dynasties, i.e., paren...

This paper investigates the interrelationship between urbanization, structural transformation, and post-2000 Chinese housing boom through lens of a dynamic spatial equilibrium model that features migration rich market structure with mortgages. Urbanization transformation emerge as key drivers China's house price boom, while at same time rising prices impede these forces economic transition. Pol...

We report the initial evaluation of a mid-infrared QCL-coupled silicon-on-sapphire ring resonator gas sensor. The device probes the N(2)O 2241.79 cm(-1) optical transition (R23 line) in the ν(3) vibrational band. N(2)O concentration is deduced using a non-linear least squares fit, based on coupled-mode theory, of the change in ring resonator Q due to gas absorption losses in the evanescent port...

This paper empirically assesses the incidence and efficiency of Round I of the federal urban Empowerment Zone (EZ ) program using confidential microdata from the Decennial Census and the Longitudinal Business Database. Using rejected and future applicants to the EZ program as controls, we find that EZ designation substantially increased employment in zone neighborhoods and generated wage increa...

Differences in Employment Outcomes for College Town Stayers and Leavers Areas surrounding colleges and universities are often able to build their local stock of human capital by retaining recent graduates in the area after they finish their education. This paper classifies 41 U.S. metropolitan areas as “college towns” and investigates differences in employment outcomes between college graduates...

Economists generally assume, implicitly, that “the return to schooling” is invariant across local labor markets. We demonstrate that this outcome pertains if and only if preferences are homothetic—a special case that seems unlikely. Our theory predicts that returns to education will instead be relatively low in expensive high-amenity locations. Our analysis of U.S. data provides support for thi...