Stay or emigrate? How social capital influences selective migration in Italy

Internal migration in Italy has been characterised by deep changes in its composition, because of the growing share of high-skilled migrants (the emigration of which contributes to widening the internal brain drain) and the decreasing proportion of low-skilled migrants. Furthermore, recent interest in the literature in the role played by noneconomic elements in affecting migration decisions has highlighted the importance of a nonpecuniary factor, namely social capital (SC). For these reasons, this paper empirically investigates the role played by SC in interprovincial selective migration, considering migrants according to two education levels using data on 103 Italian provinces (2004-2012). The main findings reveal that provincial SC mainly contributes to reducing the migration flows of low-skilled individuals, albeit while also deterring the emigration of high-skilled individuals. Control variables confirm that better income conditions represent an important determinant of high-skilled migrants most likely because they seek to earn more, while better socioeconomic conditions such as labour market efficiency mostly influence those with a lower level of education.

Automated summary

Internal migration in Italy has changed significantly in terms of composition, with a rise in high-skilled migrants but a decline in low-skilled migrants. The role of social capital (SC) as a nonpecuniary factor in migration decision-making has been studied, and this paper empirically investigates its impact on interprovincial selective migration in Italy. Using data on 103 Italian provinces from 2004 to 2012, the study found that provincial SC primarily reduces migration flows of low-skilled individuals but also deters the emigration of high-skilled individuals. Control variables also revealed the importance of income and socioeconomic conditions in influencing migration patterns.