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Migration Decisions of Dual-earner Families: An Application of Multilevel Modeling

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Abstract

A comprehensive framework for guiding analyses of internal migration is lacking. This study contributes to the family migration literature in three important ways. We develop a multilevel theoretical framework emphasizing an integration of individual-, family-, and neighborhood-level effects; introduce multilevel statistical modeling; and explicitly assess how effects of economic-based explanatory variables vary by gender. Our data are from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). We find that the likelihood of a family migrating is affected by economic and non-economic factors, some of which vary by gender. We add to the dual-earner migration literature by finding that wives are not likely to be tied-movers, but husbands are likely to be tied-stayers. Neighborhood factors also are important to the decision to migrate.

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Notes

  1. In preliminary analyses not reported here, we found few families moved from and returned to their 1990 location during the four-year study period.

  2. The PSID provides only age and race information of the husband.

  3. For brevity, we do not report these results. They are available from the authors by request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National City Corporation, 23000 Mill Creek Blvd, Highland Hills, OH , 44122, USA

    Li Li Swain

  2. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, 4380 Palmer Building, Room 2330, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Steven Garasky

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  1. Li Li Swain
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  2. Steven Garasky
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Correspondence to Steven Garasky.

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Swain, L.L., Garasky, S. Migration Decisions of Dual-earner Families: An Application of Multilevel Modeling. J Fam Econ Iss 28, 151–170 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-006-9046-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-006-9046-3

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