Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
We provide a spatial general equilibrium model of migration and job searching to study the role the housing bust played in mobility rates and labor market outcomes. We estimate the parameters governing the migration decisions of households using data on state-level migration and labor market patterns from 1991 to 2007 and use the estimated model to characterize the effects of the housing market collapse on labor market outcomes. Our analysis suggests that the housing bust is responsible for 12% of the increase in unemployment as it reduces workers’ reallocation and forces more homeowners to look for jobs in areas with lower job-finding rates.