Population Research Center, University of Texas, 1 University Station, G1800, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
Soc Sci Res. 2012 Sep;41(5):1275-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2012.02.007. Epub 2012 Mar 7.
In this study we examine the social and economic factors driving internal migration flows in Mexico. We pay particular attention to the effect that economic liberalization has had in encouraging migration to border cities. Our analysis of the origin and destination of migrants is carried out at a finer level of geographical detail than ever before. Microdata files from the 2000 population census allow us to distinguish urban- and rural-origin migrants to the largest 115 cities and metropolitan areas in the country. Our results indicate that economic liberalization, measured by the level of foreign investment and employment in the maquiladora export industry, strongly influences migrants' choice of destinations. However, economic liberalization fails to fully account for the attraction of the border, as do the higher emigration rates to the United States from border cities. Our analysis also reveals that migrants to the border region and to cities with high levels of foreign investment are younger, less educated and more likely to be men than migrants to other parts of Mexico. Rural migrants are significantly more likely to move to the border and to cities with high levels of foreign investment than urban migrants. The results of our study have important implication for other countries opening their economies to foreign investment and international trade.
在这项研究中，我们考察了推动墨西哥国内人口迁移流动的社会经济因素。我们特别关注经济自由化对鼓励向边境城市迁移的影响。我们对移民来源和目的地的分析比以往任何时候都更加详细。2000 年人口普查的微观数据文件使我们能够区分来自农村和城市的移民到该国最大的 115 个城市和大都市区。我们的研究结果表明，以外国投资和边境出口加工业就业水平衡量的经济自由化强烈影响着移民的目的地选择。然而，经济自由化并不能完全解释边境的吸引力，就像边境城市向美国的移民率更高一样。我们的分析还表明，与来自其他地区的移民相比，迁往边境地区和外国投资水平较高城市的移民更年轻、受教育程度更低、男性比例更高。农村移民迁往边境地区和外国投资水平较高城市的可能性明显高于城市移民。我们的研究结果对其他国家向外国投资和国际贸易开放经济具有重要意义。
