^aDepartment of Economics, University of North Texas, PO Box 311457, Denton, TX 76203, USA. E-mail: tjewell@unt.edu

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the decision to migrate from Mexico to the US, concentrating on the impacts of market and non-market factors. We analyze the first migration decisions of male, illegal migrants using Mexican Migration Project data. The results indicate that income and migration networks have significant effects on migration probabilities for first-time, male migrants. Both absolute and relative income matter in the migration decision; however, absolute income appears to have a stronger influence on this decision than does relative income. Other important factors in the migration decision are the age, education, and marital status of potential migrants.