After the introduction of the freedom of movement for Eastern European workers, EU-15 countries were expected to reduce public benefits in order to avoid becoming "welfare magnets". However, OECD data do not support the prediction of a race to the bottom in benefit levels. Using EU-LFS data, I...

Does migration facilitate regional adjustment to idiosyncratic shocks in transition economies; If so, one should find a strong relationship between regional unemployment and average wages on the one hand, and migration flows on the other. Yet, the evidence from transition economies indicates...

Does migration facilitate regional adjustment to idiosyncratic shocks? The evidence from post-communist economies indicates that the efficacy of migration in reducing interregional unemployment and wage differentials is low. High wages appear to encourage and high unemployment tends to...