I have a new working paper with Justin Callais (Archbridge Institute), Alicia Plemmons (West Virginia University) and Gary Wagner (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) concerning internal migration in the United States and the role that the different types of entrepreneurship in different MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area). The abstract is below and the paper is here on SSRN:
William Baumol proposes that there are two types of entrepreneurship: productive or unproductive. Productive entrepreneurship, characterized by innovation and efficient resource allocation, fosters economic growth and can act as a potent magnet for migration. Conversely, unproductive entrepreneurship, which often involves rent-seeking and regulatory circumvention, deters migration and potentially provokes out-migration. To test this link from the types of entrepreneurship and migration, we use a new index of entrepreneurship (productive and unproductive) in conjunction with a dataset covering migration to and from Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) from 2005 to 2019. Our analysis reveals that regions high in productive entrepreneurship experience significant net in-migration, while those dominated by unproductive entrepreneurship see the opposite effect.
Vincent Geloso 