Optimal migration: A world perspective

Jess Benhabib; Boyan Jovanovic

doi:10.1111/j.1468-2354.2012.00683.x

Optimal migration: A world perspective

Jess Benhabib, Boyan Jovanovic

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We ask what level of migration would maximize world welfare. Welfare is assumed to be a weighted average of the utilities of the world's various citizens, but the weights are also country specific. Using a calibrated one-sector model, we find that unless the weights are heavily biased toward the natives of rich countries, the extent of migration that would be optimal far exceeds the levels observed today. The claim remains true in a two-sector extension of the model. All versions of the model assume that migration is the only redistributive tool.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	321-348
Number of pages	28
Journal	International Economic Review
Volume	53
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2354.2012.00683.x
State	Published - May 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Economics and Econometrics

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Optimal migration: A world perspective

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