Research

This paper uses newly digitized Canada-Vermont border crossing records from the early twentieth century to document substantial differences in how female and male migrants sorted across US destination counties by earnings potential. Income maximization largely explains sorting patterns among men. For single women, gender-based labor market constraints were important, with locations offering more work opportunities attracting women with higher earnings capacity. Among married women, destination choices were much less influenced by labor market characteristics. These findings reveal how labor market constraints based on gender and marriage influence the allocation of migrant talent across destinations.

Refugees spend months or even years waiting for asylum decisions under uncertainty. To study how this waiting time influences their economic and social integration into the host country, we use information on the universe of asylum seekers to Finland and follow their trajectories with comprehensive administrative records. We leverage variation in processing times that are due to quasi-random allocation of cases to immigration caseworkers who handle applications at different speeds. We find that longer waiting times delay entry into labor markets, reduce skill investments and create costs to host country public finances. However, longer waiting times also reduce the likelihood of committing crimes and increase turnout in local elections. This suggests that the language and integration courses accessed during the waiting time can help entrench an understanding or appreciation of local norms and rules. For underage asylum seekers, we find no negative impacts on educational outcomes, crime or political participation, likely because all children are granted access to a stable environment with comprehensive education and other integration services regardless of their legal status.