The Impact of Lifetime Mobility on the Native Migratory Response to Immigration

Regina M. Bures, University at Albany, State University of New York
Hideki Morooka, University at Albany, State University of New York

In this paper we examine the relationship between the lifetime mobility of the native population and their migratory response to immigration. Previous studies that have examined the native migratory response generally interpret increases in native out-migration as reflecting decreases economic opportunities due to the influx of immigrants. These studies assume that all natives are equally likely to move. In fact, individuals who have migrated in the past have a higher probability of moving. We argue that research that does not take into account the migration experiences of the native population may overestimate the impact of immigrants on native's economic opportunities in local labor markets as well as native out-migration. We find that lifetime migrants are significantly more likely to move from states with high immigration than either the foreign born or natives living in their state of birth. We discuss the planning and policy implications of these findings.