May 2015

IZA DP No. 9059: Power-Couples and the Colocation Hypothesis Revisited

Francesco Mariotti, Karen A. Mumford, Yolanda Pena-Boquete

published in IZA Journal of Development and Migration, 2017, 6 (1), 1-18. http://rdcu.be/ov9g

We analyse the migration movements of power couples (couples where both members have at least a college degree), half power and no-power couples within Australia. We explicitly allow for potential correlation of these movements with local labour market features. Our results support the urbanisation hypothesis for ongoing couples over either the colocation or tied-mover models. Partnered college graduates like to live in major cities regardless of their gender or the qualifications of their partner.