New paper by Hartmut Lehmann is published in the Journal of Comparative Economics
New paper by CLMS Leading Research Fellow Hartmut Lehmann "The impact of non-cognitive skills and risk preferences on rural-to-urban migration in Ukraine" (jointly with Sinem H. Ayhan and Kseniia Gatskovac) is published in tne new issue of the Journal of Comparative Economics.
This paper provides evidence on the impact of non-cognitive skills and attitudes towards risk onthe decision to migrate from rural to urban areas. Our analysis is based on a unique four-wavepanel of the Ukrainian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey for the period between 2003 and 2012.Adopting the Five Factor Model of personality structure, and using it in the evaluation of noncognitiveskills, our results suggest that the personality trait openness to new experience increasesthe probability of migration. On the other hand, the non-cognitive skills conscientiousness andagreeableness are found to be negatively associated with the propensity to migrate. The impact ofan increased willingness to take risks is more complex in that it increases the proclivity to movefrom rural areas to cities but lowers the migration intention from rural areas to towns. The effectsare quantitatively significant and are robust to several sensitivity checks, including tests of reversecausality.
JEL classification: J61; D03; D81; R23
Keywords: Migration, Non-cognitive skills, Big five, Risk attitudes
The paper at the journal's website