This research paper addresses some important issues regarding out-migration from and in-migration to metropolitan areas in the US, particularly the effect of the social welfare system on migration decisions. The primary focus is on migration by income group (poor versus non-poor), with a secondary focus on how gender and family status relate to migration. The results provide only very weak support for the hypothesis that social welfare benefits influence out-migration decisions (only of non-poor female-headed households), but moderate support for the effect of such benefits on in-migration decisions, especially of low-income and female-headed households.
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