The Determinants of Migration: Italian Regional Factors and the Relationship with Filipino Migrant Labor Supply

Abstract

Throughout the years, the segmentation of the Italian labor market across regions, classes, genders, skill-levels and sectors has beneted from the supply of migrant labor. Among these migrant laborers, Filipinos met the demand for labor across various sectors where native supply is insufficient for local demand. Nevertheless, despite demand, the migration inflow fluctuates in response to variations in economic and geographic conditions. This study investigates the region-specific drivers of the annual inflow of Filipino migrants to the various regions in Italy. Using the annual arrivals of labor migrants from the Philippines to Italy for the period of 2007-2017, this paper uses static and dynamic estimation techniques by utilizing regional economic and demographic indices. The results show adherence to and diversion from migration theories and expected movements. Regardless of the substantial regional differences, the Filipino migrant stock is the most stable and significant variable in influencing regional migration inflow.