This study evaluates the social and demographic structure of poverty migration dur ing the 1985-90 period based on an analysis of recent census data. Particular atten tion is given to the roles of two policy-relevant factors that are proposed to be linked to poverty migration. The first of these is the role of immigration from abroad and its effect on the net out-migration of longer-term residents with below-poverty incomes, from States receiving the highest volume of immigrants. Such a response, it is argued, could result from job competition or other economic and social costs associated with immigration. The second involves the poverty population "magnet" effect associated with State welfare benefits (AFDC and Food Stamp payments) which has come under renewed scrutiny in light of the impending reform of the These results are consistent with arguments that internal migrants are responding to labor market competition from similarly educated immi· grants. Moreover, we found that the impact of immigration occurs primarily as a "push" rather than a reduced "pulL" In contrast, State welfare benefits exert only minimal effects on the interstate migration of the poverty population-either as "pulls" or "pushes," although some demographic segments of that population are more prone to respond than others. In addition to these findings, our results reveal the strong impact that a State's racial and ethnic composition exerts in both retaining and attracting migrants of like race and ethnic groups. This suggests the potential for a greater cross-state division in the US poverty population, by race and ethnic status.
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