Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
A spatial system of equations for regional income growth and migration allows to identify the impact of migration on regional income convergence despite the dependence of migration rates on initial income per worker. Using a spatial systems estimator, we find a significant positive effect of migration on income convergence within the European Union on the NUTS 2 level. As migration is generally observed from low to high income regions, growth rates of income per worker tend to decrease in regions experiencing net immigration, while lagging regions experience higher speeds of income convergence due to net emigration. As a consequence, migration increases σ-convergence by about 0.45 percentage points.