Policy Insights

<p>Despite an increasing number of empirical studies about the impact of climate change on migration, there is no scientific consensus as to what extent and under which conditions environmental factors influence migration. To fill this gap, Roman Hoffmann (Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital) and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis on the relationship between environmental change and migration.</p>

<p>Andreas Backhaus of the German Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) summarises six potential pitfalls that can arise in the interpretation of coronavirus data. These pitfalls have the potential to mislead the public debate and thereby the course of future policy actions.</p>

<p>Francesco Billari of Bocconi University argues that the European Union must use COVID-19 crisis exit funds to prioritise investment in children and the institutions that shape them, their schools and families. These funds would be, if well-orchestrated, a social investment: Improving the life chances of children would diminish inequalities in the long term, and at the same time it would increase human capital, leading to economic growth in the long run.</p>

<p>Palloni & Walter explore possible causes of differences in fatality rates due to COVID-19 by gender, country, and region. These explanations include comparability of statistics and accounting of cases; variance in resources and capacity to cope with the pandemic; population health composition; and most notably, biology and epigenetics.</p>

<p>Petra de Jong (NIDI) used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the factors influencing people’s willingness to migrate and whether the receiving country's welfare system can influence individual migration decisions. She found no support for the "welfare magnet hypothesis" in the specific case of labour migrants, though her findings suggest that a generous welfare system in the country of origin can help encourage potential out-migrants to stay.</p>

<p>The role of mothers, instead, is rarely central in the social mobility studies. However, Mothers play an increasingly important role in daughters' education and career advancement, especially if they are highly educated. Minello consequently argues for increased attention in the intergenerational mobility literature on the influence of mothers upon daughters' decisions and careers.</p>

<p>Fewer and fewer children are being born in Sweden, while the average age of first-time mothers is rising. The latest figures from Statistics Sweden show that fertility rates in Sweden have fallen every year since 2009, and that the average age at first birth is the highest over a very long time. But none of the explanations researchers referred to in the past seem to be sufficient this time. So how can this development be explained?</p>
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<p>This working paper is based on the outcomes of a workshop discussion with experts from different scientific fields who work at the intersection of research, politics, economics and society. The value of scientific work is no longer measured just by whether it meets research-based quality criteria, but by its social impact.</p>

<p>Research on 6,700 parents of one- and two-year-olds in 29 European countries, including the UK, found that parents using part-time formal childcare had better mental health than those who used informal childcare only.</p>