Telecommunications Externality on Migration : Evidence from Chinese Villages

Lu, Yi; Xie, Huihua; Xu, Lixin Colin

Telecommunications Externality on Migration : Evidence from Chinese Villages

Autores

Lu, Yi

Xie, Huihua

Xu, Lixin Colin

Editor

World Bank, Washington, DC

Descripción

This paper uses a unique natural experiment in Chinese villages to investigate whether access to telecommunications-- in particular, landline phones -- increases the likelihood of outmigration. By using regional and time variations in the installation of landline phones, the difference-in-differences estimation shows that access to landline phones increases the ratio of out-migrant workers by 2 percentage points, or about 50 percent of the sample mean in China. The results remain robust to a battery of validity checks. Furthermore, landline phones affect outmigration through two channels: information access to job opportunities and timely contact with left-behind family members. The findings underscore the positive migration externality of expanding telecommunications access in rural areas, especially in places where migration potential is large.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO EDUCATION, ACCESS TO INFORMATION, ACCESS TO JOB, ACCESSIBILITY, AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION, AUTONOMY, BANKS, BULLETIN, BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, CABLE TELEVISION, CAPITAL FLOW, CELLULAR PHONE, CELLULAR PHONES, CITIZENSHIP, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT POLICY, DISPOSABLE INCOME, EARNINGS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, ECONOMIC POLICY, ECONOMIC REFORM, EDUCATION LEVELS, ELECTRICITY, EMPLOYEE, FAMILIES, FAMILY MEMBERS, FAMILY STRUCTURE, FARMER, FARMERS, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FINANCIAL COSTS, FOOD SHORTAGE, GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, GROWTH IN POPULATION, HEALTH CARE, HOUSEHOLD INVESTMENT, HOUSEHOLDS, HUMAN RESOURCES, IMMIGRANT, IMMIGRANT WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS, IMMIGRATION, INEQUALITY, INFORMATION ACCESS, INFORMATION NETWORK, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INSTALLATION, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTS, INTERNAL MIGRATION, INTERNAL MIGRATIONS, INTERNATIONAL BANK, INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION, JOB CREATION, JOB OPPORTUNITIES, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR MOBILITY, LABOUR MARKET, LARGE CITIES, LIFE PROSPECTS, MANUFACTURING, MARKET INFORMATION, MARKETING, MEDIA, MEDICINE, MIGRANT, MIGRANT WORKER, MIGRANT WORKERS, MIGRATION, MOBILE PHONE, MOBILE PHONES, MULTINATIONAL, NATIONAL PRIORITY, NETWORKS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, OPEN ACCESS, PEOPLES, PHONE CONNECTION, PHONES, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POPULATION STUDIES, POTENTIAL MIGRANTS, POWER, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT, PRIVATIZATION, PRODUCTIVITY, PROGRESS, PROVISION OF INFORMATION, QUALITY OF LIFE, REGISTRATION SYSTEM, REMITTANCE, REMITTANCES, RESULT, RESULTS, RETURN MIGRATION, RURAL AREAS, RURAL POVERTY, SEARCH, SEARCH ENGINE, SEARCHES, SERVICE QUALITY, SEX, SEX RATIO, SITES, SOCIAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SOCIAL SERVICES, SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION, SOCIAL WELFARE, SOCIETY, SPILLOVER, TELECOM, TELECOM COMPANIES, TELECOM SERVICES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES, TELEPHONES, TELEVISIONS, TOWNS, TV, UNEMPLOYMENT, URBAN AREAS, URBAN COMMUNITIES, URBAN MIGRATION, URBAN POPULATION, URBANIZATION, USERS, USES, VILLAGE, VILLAGES, VIRTUAL COMMUNITY, WEB, YOUNG CHILDREN