The Migration Consequences of English-Language Education

Abstract:

Many non-English speaking developing countries, including major migrant senders to the US, have expanded English language instruction as part of their educational curricula. Does improved English proficiency reduce transaction costs and facilitate migration, or does it deter international migration by increasing local economic opportunities? We study this question in the context of Mexico. Using state-level reforms in Mexico that introduced English instruction in primary schools during the early 1990s, we exploit variation in the timing and municipal-level exposure to the reform with a difference-in-differences strategy. We find that exposure to English instruction in childhood significantly increased domestic migration rates. Although overall international migration rates remained unchanged, we document a shift in destination countries: fewer individuals migrated to the United States, opting instead for a broader set of non-Hispanic countries. Additionally, we show that these reforms increased earnings in the domestic labor market.

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