Social Networks and Migration

该研究项目将使用实验方法来研究将新移民与社交网络之外的经验丰富的移民联系起来的方案是否可以改善移民结果。 虽然移徙是改善劳动力市场运作和减少贫困的最有效战略之一，但许多人，特别是弱势群体，在获得有利可图的移徙机会方面面临巨大障碍。 因此，一个国家/地区的一部分存在劳动力短缺，而另一部分则存在高失业率，从而减缓了经济增长，加剧了贫困。 该项目将利用在高移民地区正在进行的实地实验来评估移民指导计划。 这一创新设计的实验将有助于回答利用社交网络和支持系统的政策是否能够帮助人们迁移到更好的机会，并在许多地区，包括世界上较富裕的地区有许多潜在的应用。 该研究项目的成果将有助于改善国内和国际劳动力市场的功能，从而促进经济增长，并减少美国和全球的贫困。该项目将产生关于社会网络结构变化对移民影响的实验证据。该项目将利用尼泊尔一个高循环移徙地区的现有电话样本。 它将随机分配2,000名潜在的移民接受三种干预措施之一或控制条件。这些干预措施是：（1）项目人员提供的关于移民机会的标准信息;（2）关于移民机会的标准信息加上来自当地的有经验的移民提供的特殊信息;（3）干预（2）加上多次1-1会议和与来自当地的有经验的移民一起移民的机会。 研究人员将在这些潜在计划接受者的社交网络中收集2,000名潜在移民的额外数据。他们将在干预前、干预期间、迁徙季节和迁徙季节后进行六轮电话调查。这些调查将跟踪对移徙到不同目的地的信念和态度的变化、移徙和移徙经历、收入和汇款以及家庭成员在国内的福利。 该研究成果将为改善国内和国际劳动力市场的运作，从而促进经济增长，减少美国和全球贫困的政策提供投入。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research project will use experimental methods to study whether programs connecting new migrants to experienced migrants outside their social networks can improve migration outcomes. While migration is among the most effective strategies to improve the functioning of labor markets and reduce poverty, many individuals, particularly vulnerable ones, face large barriers to profitable migration opportunities. As a result, labor shortages exist in one part of a country/region while high unemployment rates exist in other parts, thus slowing economic growth and increasing poverty. The project will leverage an on-going field experiment in a high-migration region to evaluate a migration mentorship program. The innovatively designed experiment will help to answer whether policies that leverage social networks and support systems can help people migrate to better opportunities, with many potential applications to many regions, including wealthier regions of the world. The results of this research project will help to improve the functioning of domestic and international labor markets, hence increase economic growth, and reduce poverty in the U.S. and globally.This project will generate experimental evidence on the effects of changes in social network structure on migration. The project will make use of an existing phone sample in a high-circular-migration region of Nepal. It will randomly assign 2,000 potential migrants to receive one of three interventions or a control condition. The interventions are: (1) standard information on migration opportunities delivered by program staff; (2) standard information on migration opportunities plus idiosyncratic information delivered by an experienced migrant from their locality; and (3) intervention (2) plus multiple 1-1 meetings and the opportunity to migrate with an experienced migrant from their locality. The researchers will collect additional data on 2,000 potential migrants in the social networks of these potential program recipients. They will conduct six rounds of phone surveys before the intervention, during the intervention period, during the migration season, and after the migration season. These surveys will track changes in beliefs and attitudes towards migration to various destinations, migration and migration experiences, earnings and remittances, and the welfare of family members at home. The results of this research will provide inputs into policies to improve the functioning of domestic and international labor markets, hence increase economic growth, and reduce poverty in the U.S. and globally.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.