2011/08/01 by Raven Molloy, Christopher L. Smith, Abigail Wozniak · 5 citations
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies #Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis #Migration and Labor Dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1257/jep.25.3.173
openalex publication_date 2011/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
This paper examines the history of internal migration in the United States since the 1980s. By most measures, internal migration in the United States is at a 30-year low. The widespread decline in migration rates across a large number of subpopulations suggests that broad-based economic forces are likely responsible for the decrease. An obvious question is the extent to which the recent housing market contraction and the recession may have caused this downward trend in migration: after all, relocation activity often involves both housing market activity and changes in employment. However, we find relatively small roles for both of these cyclical factors. While we will suggest a few other possible explanations for the recent decrease in migration, the puzzle remains. Finally, we compare U.S. migration to other developed countries. Despite the steady decline in U.S. migration, the commonly held belief that Americans are more mobile than their European counterparts still appears to hold true.