Eleonora Romano
Hello! I am a last year PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Bologna.
My research focuses on migration, labor markets, and macroeconomics:
I use structural estimation and general equilibrium models to study how migration and policy interact with labor markets and welfare systems.
I visited UC Davis in 2024 (sept-dec) and Yale University in 2025 (Jan-Jun).
Working Papers
The Fiscal Impact of Migrants: Immigration Policy and Self-selection - JM paper (draft available soon)
This paper explores the fiscal impact of immigrants in Europe, integrating immigration policy and migrant self-selection within a unified analytical framework implementing a general equilibrium analysis. Given the debate on whether immigrants are net contributors or burdens to public finances, this study utilizes a structural model and EU-SILC data to provide insights into how immigration policies shape migrant self-selection and, consequently, their fiscal contributions to host countries. Through simulations, it investigates the dependency of fiscal impacts in destination countries on immigration policy, highlighting the significant role host countries play in determining self-selection and fiscal outcomes. This approach underscores the nuanced interplay between policy decisions and economic realities, offering a more refined perspective on the fiscal implications of immigration.
Immigration and Welfare Systems: Understanding the Fiscal Costs and Benefits for Natives - (work in progress)
with M. Battisti and G. Peri
This study examines how welfare systems interact with immigration to generate benefits and costs for native populations. Building on Immigration, Search, and Redistribution: A Quantitative Assessment of Native Welfare (Battisti et al., 2018), we extend the framework by incorporating skill-specific taxation and capital taxation. This project aims to disentangle the fiscal contributions of labor income, capital income, and unemployment transfers in shaping welfare outcomes. By refining the theoretical model, we provide insights into how different redistribution mechanisms influence the economic effects of high- and low-skilled immigration across countries. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the fiscal dynamics of immigration and redistribution, shedding light on the mechanisms through which immigration impacts native welfare.
Gendered Impacts of Migration on Household Dynamics and Labor Supply Responses in India - (draft available soon)
with G. Dangwal and J. Romero
Temporary household separation is a common feature of internal migration in low-income settings, yet its effects on intra-household labor dynamics remain unclear. This paper uses high-frequency panel data from India to study how households adjust labor supply following the temporary migration of the male household head. We begin by developing a theoretical model in which household members allocate labor and care responsibilities in response to migration, generating predictions about gendered labor reallocation, remittances, and schooling. These predictions guide our empirical analysis. Using the granularity of the data, we implement a difference-in-differences event study to trace labor responses over time. To strengthen causal identification, we exploit variation in migration driven by exogenous pull shocks from commodity price fluctuations. We find that migration leads to a sharp rise in per capita remittances, accompanied by declines in household wage earnings and farm income, consistent with the loss of a primary earner. In response, spouses increase paid labor and reduce unpaid domestic labor. Other household members, including both men and women, also raise labor force participation. Among young adults, school attendance falls. At the return of the household head, the effect on spouses’ labor partially reverses. Asset ownership falls during separation, but increases partially after the migrant’s return. These findings show that migration reallocates labor within the household across time, with important implications for income, care responsibilities, and human capital investment.