Applied Economics

The Economics of Migration is a branch of economics that studies the causes and consequences of human migration. It seeks to understand the economic incentives and constraints that motivate people to migrate and the economic and social impact of migration on both the sending and receiving countries. The discipline of economics of migration is closely related to several fields of economics, including international economics, labor economics, development economics, and political economy. As such, this course will expose students to topics and tools from all four fields above. The approach of the course will be empirical and based on the most recent papers in the literature. Throughout the course, students will have the chance to review a wide range of empirical methods to estimate causal effects (such as difference-in-differences, event-studies, instrumental variables, regression discontinuity designs, and synthetic control methods). These advanced quantitative methods are essential for conducting rigorous applied economic research, not only in the economics of migration but also in other fields of economics. In addition, students will develop critical thinking skills by learning how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs, interpret empirical findings, and identify areas where further research is needed.

Part 1: Foundations of Migration as a Factor Flow Topic 1: Introduction. Data and the global gains from migration. Topic 2: The decision to migrate: the RUM model Topic 3: The selection of migrants Topic 4: Immigration policies Part 2: Migration and Labor Markets Topic 5: The effects of immigration Topic 6: Immigrant assimilation Topic 7: Residential segregation Topic 8: The economics of refugee migration Topic 9: Refugees¿ labor market integration Part 3: Migration and Development Topic 10: The relationship between migration and development Topic 11: The migration impact on sending households and communities Topic 12: Migration and long-run perspective Part 4: Migration and Political Economy Topic 13: Immigration, diversity, and the society Topic 14: Immigration, media, and populist vote

The course is mostly based on academic papers. Each of the lectures will have mandatory and additional readings (mandatory ones are in bold). There is also a book that covers most of the topics in the first part of the program: Borjas, George J. (2014). Immigration Economics. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA. The grade will come from the final exam (60 per cent) and from the presentation of one paper and the discussion of another presented by a classmate and in-class participation (40 per cent). Office hours will take place weekly by appointment, either online or in offices 15.1.53 (Jesús Fernández-Huertas Moraga) and 15.2.11 (Luigi Minale).