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Title: Technology and the Convergence of US Urban Migration Patterns: 1970-2000

Citation Type: Journal Article

Publication Year: 2006

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Abstract: The theoretical premise of this study is twofold. First, that industrial and occupational restructuring within three industries in the U.S.-manufacturing, finance, and high technology-occurred because of technological developments and these, in turn, influenced the settlement patterns of working-age individuals. Second, that quality-of-life factors are increasingly important for the migration decisions of workers as the importance of proximity to ports and raw materials declines. As expected, the results show that high concentrations of high-technology and finance occupations generally have a positive pull for migrants, with younger migrants most attracted to technology jobs. High concentrations of manufacturing jobs have a negative effect. Most surprisingly, the explanatory power of the model declines substantially across the three decades. Both employment variables and proxies for quality-of-life variables lost explanatory power for modeling age-specific in-migration to metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Overall, the results support the industrial restructuring hypothesis, but do not find support for the idea that quality-of-life factors have grown in importance.

Url: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1468-2257.2006.00306.x

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Authors: Bartley, Katherine F.

Periodical (Full): Growth and Change

Issue: 1

Volume: 37

Pages: 82-106

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other

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