Lessons from Migration after EU Enlargement

45 Pages Posted: 21 Jun 2009

See all articles by Martin Kahanec

Martin Kahanec

IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Central European University; Central European Labour Studies Institute

Anzelika Zaiceva

IZA Institute of Labor Economics; University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO); UNU-MERIT; Maastricht University, Department of Economics; Free University Berlin; University of Bonn; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); Journal of Population Economics

Abstract

The Eastern enlargement of the EU was an institutional impetus to the migration potential in Europe. While the overall numbers of migrants from the new member states in the EU15 increased between 2003 and 2007, this increase was distributed unevenly among countries. The proportion of these migrants in the EU15 remains smaller than that of non-EU27 migrants. The transitory arrangements may have diverted some migrants from the EU8 mainly to Ireland and the UK. Migrants from the EU2 continued to go predominantly to Italy and Spain. To date, there is no evidence that these primarily economic migrants would displace native workers or lower their wages (and even if crowding out happened in certain sectors or occupation, aggregate data suggest that such natives found well-paid jobs elsewhere), or that they would be more dependent on welfare than the natives. The drain of mainly young and skilled people could pose some additional demographic challenges on the source countries. However, the anticipated brain circulation may in fact help to solve their demographic and economic problems. While the ongoing economic crisis may change the momentum of several migration trajectories, free migration should in fact alleviate many consequences of the crisis and generally improve the allocative efficiency of EU labor markets.

Keywords: migration, effects of migration, EU Eastern enlargement, free movement of workers

JEL Classification: F22, J61

Suggested Citation

Kahanec, Martin and Zaiceva, Anzelika and Zaiceva, Anzelika and Zimmermann, Klaus F., Lessons from Migration after EU Enlargement. IZA Discussion Paper No. 4230, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1423346 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1423346

Martin Kahanec (Contact Author)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

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Central European University ( email )

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Central European Labour Studies Institute ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.celsi.sk

Anzelika Zaiceva

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

Schaumburg-Lippe-Str. 7 / 9
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ( email )

Viale A. Allegri 9
Modena, Modena 42121
Italy

Klaus F. Zimmermann

Global Labor Organization (GLO) ( email )

Bonn
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://https://glabor.org/

UNU-MERIT ( email )

Keizer Karelplein 19
Maastricht, 6211TC
Netherlands

Maastricht University, Department of Economics ( email )

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Netherlands

University of Bonn

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Bonn, D-53012
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

Journal of Population Economics

Tiergartenstr. 17
D-69121 Heidelberg
Germany

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