Essays in Internal and International Migration

This dissertation investigates how internal migration spreads local shocks to the national market. The first chapter describes a dynamic model of internal migration where in equilibrium there are always positive internal migration flows across locations. When a shock in one of these location happens, internal migration flows are diverted away from the shocked locations, spreading the shock nationally. The second chapter explains how this is the main mechanism through which international migration is absorbed. The third chapter, documents how this exact same mechanism helps to mitigate the disproportionate effect that the Great Recession had on particular locations.