Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/58967 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 6450
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
This chapter reviews and discusses major theories and empirical studies about the welfare magnet hypothesis, i.e. whether immigrants are more likely to move to countries with generous welfare systems. Although economic theory predicts that welfare generosity affects the number, composition and location of immigrants, the empirical evidence is rather mixed. We offer possible explanations for the existence of such mixed evidence and highlight that the literature so far has overlooked the presence of different migration regimes, as well as the possibility of reverse causality between welfare spending and immigration.
Subjects: 
immigration
welfare spending
JEL: 
H53
J61
J68
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
610.75 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.