November 2015

IZA DP No. 9514: Colombian Emigration by Administrative Regions

published in: Journal of Economic Insight, 2017, 43 (2), 17-48.

This article contributes to immigration literature by applying a Random Utility Maximization model to derive a migration gravity model that explains factors affecting migration outflows per administrative unit and region for the country of Colombia. Negative binomial cross-sectional estimates indicate that departments sharing an international border and overall labor market conditions are significance determinants of migration patterns for the departments, but non-economic factors such as credit constraints and cultural networks also affect migration outflows. Estimation of regional migration outflows are also provided and yield unique findings per geographic location.