Director of Faculty of Economics, UPAEP. Researcher at Center of Research and Intelligence, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla. Specialized in Migration, Economic Development, Applied Econometrics.
It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by internat... more It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by international wage di¤erentials and preferences for origin. We use a model of job search, savings and migration to show that job turnover is a crucial determinant of the migration process. We estimate this model by Simulated Method of Moments (SMM) and …nd that migration practically disappears if Mexico has American arrival rates while employed. Doubling migration costs reduces migration rates in half, while subsidizing return migration in $300 reduces migration rates of older migrants but increases migration rates of younger migrants.
It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by internat... more It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by international wage di¤erentials and preferences for origin. We use a model of job search, savings and migration to show that job turnover is a crucial determinant of the migration process. We estimate this model by Simulated Method of Moments (SMM) and …nd that migration practically disappears if Mexico has American arrival rates while employed. Doubling migration costs reduces migration rates in half, while subsidizing return migration in $300 reduces migration rates of older migrants but increases migration rates of younger migrants.
Los objetivos de este artículo son: contribuir al estudio de los determinantes de la intención de... more Los objetivos de este artículo son: contribuir al estudio de los determinantes de la intención de emprender entre la población retornante de Estados Unidos hacia el estado de Puebla, México; así como coadyuvar al debate sobre los efectos de la adquisición de capital humano, experiencia y acumulación de ahorros en dicho país sobre las intenciones de emprender de los retornados. Este análisis permite realizar recomendaciones para promover el emprendimiento entre los mexicanos retornantes de Estados Unidos. Utilizando un análisis de regresión probit y de variables instrumentales, se encuentra un efecto positivo y significativo del ahorro sobre la intención emprendedora, lo que demuestra la importancia de las restricciones crediticias en los municipios poblanos estudiados, así como un efecto positivo para la experiencia laboral, medida por la persistencia en los sectores de ocupación antes, durante y después de la migración, lo cual muestra la existencia de transferencia de capital huma...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This paper explores the structural and group-specific factors explaining the excess death rates e... more This paper explores the structural and group-specific factors explaining the excess death rates experienced by the Hispanic population in New York City during the peak years of the coronavirus pandemic. Neighborhood-level analysis of Census data allows an exploration of the relation between Hispanic COVID-19 deaths and spatial concentration, conceived in this study as a proxy for structural racism. This analysis also provides a more detailed exploration of the role of gender in understanding the effects of spatial segregation among different Hispanic subgroups, as gender has emerged as a significant variable in explaining the structural and social effects of COVID-19. Our results show a positive correlation between COVID-19 death rates and the share of Hispanic neighborhood residents. However, for men, this correlation cannot be explained by the characteristics of the neighborhood, as it is for women. In sum, we find: (a) differences in mortality risks between Hispanic men and women...
El efecto de usar YouTube como apoyo didáctico en calificaciones de microeconomía The effect of u... more El efecto de usar YouTube como apoyo didáctico en calificaciones de microeconomía The effect of using YouTube as a didactitc support on microeconomy's grades
The objective of this paper is to obtain the impact of the components of the Theory of Planned Be... more The objective of this paper is to obtain the impact of the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on the entrepreneurial intention of university students. Using a sample of 336 students from a Technological University in the State of Puebla, México, we calculate four components of Planned Behavior that measure Attitude (AT), Subjective and Social Norms (SSN), Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), and Attraction to Entrepreneurship (AE). We apply four methodologies to obtain the impact of the treatment of obtaining high scores in the TPB on entrepreneurial intention, using as identification assumption that individuals cannot control the intensity of the score they achieve. Our results show that the PBC is the most important element of TPB in predicting entrepreneurship intentions. The main limitation is that our results apply only for university students in Puebla, Mexico. Our main contribution is the obtention of TPB’s causal impact.
www.cide.edu Las colecciones de Documentos de Trabajo del CIDE representan un medio para difundir... more www.cide.edu Las colecciones de Documentos de Trabajo del CIDE representan un medio para difundir los avances de la labor de investigación, y para permitir que los autores reciban comentarios antes de su publicación definitiva. Se agradecerá que los comentarios se hagan llegar directamente al (los) autor(es).
In this paper we formulate a dynamic model of migration decisions of Mexican workers, who can mig... more In this paper we formulate a dynamic model of migration decisions of Mexican workers, who can migrate to the US illegally or legally, try to become legal immigrants (if they are illegal), or return back to Mexico at any time. The model explains migration flows by the accumulation of location-specific human capital. This paper estimates the models behavioral parameters using data from the Mexican Migration Project (MMP), a longitudinal dataset that contains information for location, legal status, income, and several socio-demographic variables. The models predicted migration transitions are matched with the migration transitions observed in the data. Then, this paper uses the models estimated parameters to evaluate the response of migration rates to a number counterfactual scenarios, which include possible policy interventions: (i) increasing legal and illegal migration costs from Mexico to the US,(ii) increasing the cost of becoming legal once in the US, (iii) giving Mexican immigrants a return subsidy, (iv) an improvement of the Mexican labor market and a worsening of the US labor market. Some combinations of these policies, such as increasing the cost of illegal immigration while simultaneously reducing the cost of legal immigration, are also analyzed.
This paper finds that minimumwagesof the United States and Mexicomeasured carefully in Purchasing... more This paper finds that minimumwagesof the United States and Mexicomeasured carefully in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) help explain the well-documented post-2010 fall in Mexico-U.S.migration. Declining inequality also plays a role since the purchasing power of the minimum wage increased relative to the average wage in Mexico. Using time-series data,we find two positive partial correlations between minimum wages and net migration: one driven by wage differentials between the two countries and the other by wage inequality in Mexico. However, these results are found to be mediated through migrantsocial networks. Though relative wages are a classic migration driver,this paper is the first to explore the full minimum-average wagenexus. One clear policy implication of these results is that maintaining the real purchasing power of minimum wages helps reducemigration.An in-depth analysis is needed to demonstrate the causality of these correlations.
We investigate political determinants of land reform implementation in the Indian state of West B... more We investigate political determinants of land reform implementation in the Indian state of West Bengal. Using a village panel spanning 1974–1998, we do not find evidence supporting the hypothesis that land reforms were positively and monotonically related to control of local governments by a Left Front coalition vis-à-vis the right-centrist Congress party, combined with lack of commitment to policy platforms. Instead, the evidence is consistent with a quasi-Downsian theory stressing the role of opportunism (reelection concerns) and electoral competition.(JEL D72, O13, O17, Q15)
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Produced by the Research Support Team
In policy discussions, it has frequently been claimed that migrants' remittances could functi... more In policy discussions, it has frequently been claimed that migrants' remittances could function as a 'catalyst' for financial access among receiving households. This paper provides empirical evidence on this hypothesis from Mexico, a main receiver of remittances worldwide. Using the Mexican Family Life Survey panel (MxFLS) for 2002 and 2005, the results from the treatment-effect-model at household level show that a change in remittance status has an important impact on ownership of savings accounts and the availability of borrowing options. This effect is significant for rural, but not for urban households and important for microfinance institutions, but not for traditional banks.
This paper uses a large household data set from Guatemala to analyze how the receipt of internal ... more This paper uses a large household data set from Guatemala to analyze how the receipt of internal remittances (from Guatemala) and international remittances (from the United States) affects the marginal spending behavior of households on various consumption and investment goods. Contrary to other studies, this study finds that households receiving remittances actually spend less at the margin on consumptionfood and consumer goods and durables -than do households receiving no remittances. Instead of spending on consumption, households receiving remittances tend to spend more on investment goods, like education, health and housing. The analysis shows that a large amount of remittance money goes into education. At the margin, households receiving internal and international remittances spend 45 and 58 percent more, respectively, on education than do households with no remittances. These increased expenditures on education represent investment in human capital. Like other studies, this paper finds that remittance-receiving households spend more at the margin on housing. These increased expenditures on housing represent a type of investment for the migrant as well as a means for boosting local economic development by creating new income and employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers.
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research d... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research disseminated by IZA may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author. IZA Discussion Paper No. 3219
It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by internat... more It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by international wage di¤erentials and preferences for origin. We use a model of job search, savings and migration to show that job turnover is a crucial determinant of the migration process. We estimate this model by Simulated Method of Moments (SMM) and …nd that migration practically disappears if Mexico has American arrival rates while employed. Doubling migration costs reduces migration rates in half, while subsidizing return migration in $300 reduces migration rates of older migrants but increases migration rates of younger migrants.
It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by internat... more It is argued that migration from Mexico to the US and return migration are determined by international wage di¤erentials and preferences for origin. We use a model of job search, savings and migration to show that job turnover is a crucial determinant of the migration process. We estimate this model by Simulated Method of Moments (SMM) and …nd that migration practically disappears if Mexico has American arrival rates while employed. Doubling migration costs reduces migration rates in half, while subsidizing return migration in $300 reduces migration rates of older migrants but increases migration rates of younger migrants.
Los objetivos de este artículo son: contribuir al estudio de los determinantes de la intención de... more Los objetivos de este artículo son: contribuir al estudio de los determinantes de la intención de emprender entre la población retornante de Estados Unidos hacia el estado de Puebla, México; así como coadyuvar al debate sobre los efectos de la adquisición de capital humano, experiencia y acumulación de ahorros en dicho país sobre las intenciones de emprender de los retornados. Este análisis permite realizar recomendaciones para promover el emprendimiento entre los mexicanos retornantes de Estados Unidos. Utilizando un análisis de regresión probit y de variables instrumentales, se encuentra un efecto positivo y significativo del ahorro sobre la intención emprendedora, lo que demuestra la importancia de las restricciones crediticias en los municipios poblanos estudiados, así como un efecto positivo para la experiencia laboral, medida por la persistencia en los sectores de ocupación antes, durante y después de la migración, lo cual muestra la existencia de transferencia de capital huma...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This paper explores the structural and group-specific factors explaining the excess death rates e... more This paper explores the structural and group-specific factors explaining the excess death rates experienced by the Hispanic population in New York City during the peak years of the coronavirus pandemic. Neighborhood-level analysis of Census data allows an exploration of the relation between Hispanic COVID-19 deaths and spatial concentration, conceived in this study as a proxy for structural racism. This analysis also provides a more detailed exploration of the role of gender in understanding the effects of spatial segregation among different Hispanic subgroups, as gender has emerged as a significant variable in explaining the structural and social effects of COVID-19. Our results show a positive correlation between COVID-19 death rates and the share of Hispanic neighborhood residents. However, for men, this correlation cannot be explained by the characteristics of the neighborhood, as it is for women. In sum, we find: (a) differences in mortality risks between Hispanic men and women...
El efecto de usar YouTube como apoyo didáctico en calificaciones de microeconomía The effect of u... more El efecto de usar YouTube como apoyo didáctico en calificaciones de microeconomía The effect of using YouTube as a didactitc support on microeconomy's grades
The objective of this paper is to obtain the impact of the components of the Theory of Planned Be... more The objective of this paper is to obtain the impact of the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on the entrepreneurial intention of university students. Using a sample of 336 students from a Technological University in the State of Puebla, México, we calculate four components of Planned Behavior that measure Attitude (AT), Subjective and Social Norms (SSN), Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), and Attraction to Entrepreneurship (AE). We apply four methodologies to obtain the impact of the treatment of obtaining high scores in the TPB on entrepreneurial intention, using as identification assumption that individuals cannot control the intensity of the score they achieve. Our results show that the PBC is the most important element of TPB in predicting entrepreneurship intentions. The main limitation is that our results apply only for university students in Puebla, Mexico. Our main contribution is the obtention of TPB’s causal impact.
www.cide.edu Las colecciones de Documentos de Trabajo del CIDE representan un medio para difundir... more www.cide.edu Las colecciones de Documentos de Trabajo del CIDE representan un medio para difundir los avances de la labor de investigación, y para permitir que los autores reciban comentarios antes de su publicación definitiva. Se agradecerá que los comentarios se hagan llegar directamente al (los) autor(es).
In this paper we formulate a dynamic model of migration decisions of Mexican workers, who can mig... more In this paper we formulate a dynamic model of migration decisions of Mexican workers, who can migrate to the US illegally or legally, try to become legal immigrants (if they are illegal), or return back to Mexico at any time. The model explains migration flows by the accumulation of location-specific human capital. This paper estimates the models behavioral parameters using data from the Mexican Migration Project (MMP), a longitudinal dataset that contains information for location, legal status, income, and several socio-demographic variables. The models predicted migration transitions are matched with the migration transitions observed in the data. Then, this paper uses the models estimated parameters to evaluate the response of migration rates to a number counterfactual scenarios, which include possible policy interventions: (i) increasing legal and illegal migration costs from Mexico to the US,(ii) increasing the cost of becoming legal once in the US, (iii) giving Mexican immigrants a return subsidy, (iv) an improvement of the Mexican labor market and a worsening of the US labor market. Some combinations of these policies, such as increasing the cost of illegal immigration while simultaneously reducing the cost of legal immigration, are also analyzed.
This paper finds that minimumwagesof the United States and Mexicomeasured carefully in Purchasing... more This paper finds that minimumwagesof the United States and Mexicomeasured carefully in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) help explain the well-documented post-2010 fall in Mexico-U.S.migration. Declining inequality also plays a role since the purchasing power of the minimum wage increased relative to the average wage in Mexico. Using time-series data,we find two positive partial correlations between minimum wages and net migration: one driven by wage differentials between the two countries and the other by wage inequality in Mexico. However, these results are found to be mediated through migrantsocial networks. Though relative wages are a classic migration driver,this paper is the first to explore the full minimum-average wagenexus. One clear policy implication of these results is that maintaining the real purchasing power of minimum wages helps reducemigration.An in-depth analysis is needed to demonstrate the causality of these correlations.
We investigate political determinants of land reform implementation in the Indian state of West B... more We investigate political determinants of land reform implementation in the Indian state of West Bengal. Using a village panel spanning 1974–1998, we do not find evidence supporting the hypothesis that land reforms were positively and monotonically related to control of local governments by a Left Front coalition vis-à-vis the right-centrist Congress party, combined with lack of commitment to policy platforms. Instead, the evidence is consistent with a quasi-Downsian theory stressing the role of opportunism (reelection concerns) and electoral competition.(JEL D72, O13, O17, Q15)
bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su r... more bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Pu bl ic Di sc lo su re A ut ho riz ed Produced by the Research Support Team
In policy discussions, it has frequently been claimed that migrants' remittances could functi... more In policy discussions, it has frequently been claimed that migrants' remittances could function as a 'catalyst' for financial access among receiving households. This paper provides empirical evidence on this hypothesis from Mexico, a main receiver of remittances worldwide. Using the Mexican Family Life Survey panel (MxFLS) for 2002 and 2005, the results from the treatment-effect-model at household level show that a change in remittance status has an important impact on ownership of savings accounts and the availability of borrowing options. This effect is significant for rural, but not for urban households and important for microfinance institutions, but not for traditional banks.
This paper uses a large household data set from Guatemala to analyze how the receipt of internal ... more This paper uses a large household data set from Guatemala to analyze how the receipt of internal remittances (from Guatemala) and international remittances (from the United States) affects the marginal spending behavior of households on various consumption and investment goods. Contrary to other studies, this study finds that households receiving remittances actually spend less at the margin on consumptionfood and consumer goods and durables -than do households receiving no remittances. Instead of spending on consumption, households receiving remittances tend to spend more on investment goods, like education, health and housing. The analysis shows that a large amount of remittance money goes into education. At the margin, households receiving internal and international remittances spend 45 and 58 percent more, respectively, on education than do households with no remittances. These increased expenditures on education represent investment in human capital. Like other studies, this paper finds that remittance-receiving households spend more at the margin on housing. These increased expenditures on housing represent a type of investment for the migrant as well as a means for boosting local economic development by creating new income and employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers.
Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research d... more Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and not those of the institute. Research disseminated by IZA may include views on policy, but the institute itself takes no institutional policy positions. The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. IZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author. IZA Discussion Paper No. 3219
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Papers by Alfredo Cuecuecha