Migration after union dissolution in the United States: The role of non-resident family

Amy Spring,Clara H Mulder,Michael J Thomas,Thomas J Cooke

doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102539

Abstract

Separation from a spouse or cohabiting partner is associated with a high likelihood of moving, even over long distances. In this paper, we use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the United States to analyze the role of non-resident family in the migration of separated people immediately after and in the years following union dissolution. We explore both migration in general and return migration among separated people, drawing comparisons to married and never-married people. We find that having parents, children, or siblings living close by substantially deters migration, especially among separated people. We also find marked positive effects of having family members in the county where the respondent grew up on the likelihood of returning there. Separated people are especially likely to return, compared to others, if they have parents in their county of origin. Furthermore, a lack of an effect of years of education on migration, and a negative effect of this variable on return migration, suggest that migration after separation is less related to human-capital considerations than other types of migration.

Highlights

Separation – the dissolution of a co-residential union – is associated with a high likelihood of residential relocations (e.g. Clark 2013; Clark and Davies Withers 2007; Flowerdew and Al-Hamad 2004)
We use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the United States to analyze the role of non-resident family in the migration of separated people immediately after and in the years following union dissolution
We address the following research questions: How is separation associated with migration, and in particular, return migration? And, how is migration of separated people related to the residential locations of parents, children, and siblings – both at the current location and at the location of a potential return move? Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and multinomial logistic regression, we follow people for a period of 8 years from the time of union dissolution until the end of observation or re-partnering, and we compare the findings for separated people to married and never-married people

Summary

Introduction

Separation – the dissolution of a co-residential union – is associated with a high likelihood of residential relocations (e.g. Clark 2013; Clark and Davies Withers 2007; Flowerdew and Al-Hamad 2004). Clark 2013; Clark and Davies Withers 2007; Flowerdew and Al-Hamad 2004) For separated people, such relocations form an important instrument to establish a new household, and to adjust their housing situation and location to new needs and frequently a decrease in resources. A growing literature has addressed the residential relocations of separated people – whom we define as ex-partners after the dissolution of a marriage or a cohabiting partnership. Part of this literature has focused on the ‘event-move’ that at least one of the ex-partners makes to effectuate the separation This elevated mobility extends several years beyond the event of separation (Feijten and Van Ham 2007, 2013; Kulu et al, 2021)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion