Replication data for: Skill Transferability, Migration, and Development: Evidence from Population Resettlement in Indonesia

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Samuel Bazzi; Arya Gaduh; Alexander D. Rothenberg; Maisy Wong

Version: View help for Version V1

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Project Citation:

Bazzi, Samuel, Gaduh, Arya, Rothenberg, Alexander D., and Wong, Maisy. Replication data for: Skill Transferability, Migration, and Development: Evidence from Population Resettlement in Indonesia. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2016. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-12. https://doi.org/10.3886/E113034V1

Project Description

Summary: We use a natural experiment in Indonesia to provide causal evidence on the role of location-specific human capital and skill transferability in shaping the spatial distribution of productivity. From 1979-1988, the Transmigration Program relocated two million migrants from rural Java and Bali to new rural settlements in the Outer Islands. Villages assigned migrants from regions with more similar agroclimatic endowments exhibit higher rice productivity and nighttime light intensity one to two decades later. We find some evidence of migrants' adaptation to agroclimatic change. Overall, our results suggest that regional productivity differences may overstate the potential gains from migration.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Spatial Labor Allocation; Internal Migration; Comparative Advantage; Agricultural Adaptation

JEL Classification:
      J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
      J43 Agricultural Labor Markets
      J61 Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
      O13 Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products
      O15 Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
      Q13 Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness

Geographic Coverage: Indonesia

Time Period(s): 1998 – 2002

Universe: Participants in Indonesia's Transmigration Program

Data Type(s): administrative records data; census/enumeration data; aggregate data

Methodology

Data Source: Multiple sources (See Appendix A for more details)

Unit(s) of Observation: Village,

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Published Versions

V1 [2019-10-12]

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Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

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