Cousins from overseas: How the existing workforce adapts to a massive forced return migration shock

B-Tier
Journal: European Economic Review
Year: 2025
Volume: 172
Issue: C

Authors (3)

Bohnet, Lara (not in RePEc) Peralta, Susana (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) Pereira dos Santos, João (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The 1975 eruption of Civil Wars in Portuguese-speaking Africa sparked the return of half a million retornados to Portugal. We use census data from 1960 and 1981 to study the impacts of this massive influx of workers on the existing workforce. We observe gendered effects in natives’ labour market outcomes: male and female natives leave dependent employment. We find robust evidence of females moving to inactivity, and suggestive evidence that males move into self-employment. The effects are driven by the repatriates who are Portuguese-born. The identification strategy exploits the repatriates’ municipality of birth and a large-scale resettlement program relying on hotel capacity.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:eecrev:v:172:y:2025:i:c:s001429212400254x
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29