{"title":"Metropolitan Social Networks and Migration: Insights From Facebook Connections","authors":"Haoqian Zou","doi":"10.1111/jors.70004","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n <p>This paper investigates the role of social networks in shaping individual migration decisions in the U.S., with a particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic period. Using nationally representative migration data from the American Community Survey and the metropolitan-level Social Connectedness Index from Facebook, I estimate a conditional logit model, employing historical ethnic distance as an instrumental variable to address endogeneity. The results indicate that social networks significantly influence migration choices, with heterogeneous effects across demographic groups and geographic settings. The effect is stronger for moves toward destinations heavily affected by COVID-19 and for individuals originating from areas with lower pandemic exposure.</p>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":48059,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Regional Science","volume":"65 5","pages":"1321-1337"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Regional Science","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jors.70004","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This paper investigates the role of social networks in shaping individual migration decisions in the U.S., with a particular focus on the COVID-19 pandemic period. Using nationally representative migration data from the American Community Survey and the metropolitan-level Social Connectedness Index from Facebook, I estimate a conditional logit model, employing historical ethnic distance as an instrumental variable to address endogeneity. The results indicate that social networks significantly influence migration choices, with heterogeneous effects across demographic groups and geographic settings. The effect is stronger for moves toward destinations heavily affected by COVID-19 and for individuals originating from areas with lower pandemic exposure.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Regional Science (JRS) publishes original analytical research at the intersection of economics and quantitative geography. Since 1958, the JRS has published leading contributions to urban and regional thought including rigorous methodological contributions and seminal theoretical pieces. The JRS is one of the most highly cited journals in urban and regional research, planning, geography, and the environment. The JRS publishes work that advances our understanding of the geographic dimensions of urban and regional economies, human settlements, and policies related to cities and regions.
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