Determinantes macroeconómicos regionales de la migración mexicana [Regional macroeconomic determinants of Mexican migration]

Resumen

This article estimates the macroeconomic determinants of Mexican migration to the U.S.A., using information on the regional economic characteristics of the Mexican states, in a context of economic integration with the U.S. economy. A cross sectional database at the regional level is used to estimate a weighted least squares regression. The results show that the ratio of the U.S.A.’s PIB to Mexico’s states PIB showed a positive effect on migration,suggesting regional economic determinants for migration. In this case, the PIB per capita had a negative effect, which implies that the poorest states experienced incentives for migration. Additionally, state unemployment rates and permanent migrant stocks exhibited a positive effect on the rates of migration growth at the state level in Mexico, supporting the approaches that consider those variables as factors for migration. The variables reflecting the impact of economic liberalization were not conclusive, although foreign direct investment exhibited a positive coefficient with respect to migration growth.