Internal migration, diversity, and innovation: new evidence from the relaxation of migration barriers in China
利用中国户籍改革作为准自然实验，研究了放松迁移壁垒如何通过增加文化多样性和技能多样性来促进创新，对理解发展中国家内部迁移与创新的关系有参考价值。
The increasing number of migrants and the diversity they bring have played a crucial role in fostering innovation. However, existing studies primarily focus on international migrants and significant diversity in developed countries, with limited exploration in developing countries like China. Given China’s large-scale internal migration and rich diversity, the country has experienced remarkable advancements in innovation, making it an ideal context to examine this issue. Using the household registration reform as a quasi-natural experiment in China, this study is among the first group to explore the impact of relaxing migration barriers on innovation from the mechanisms of migration and diversity in a developing country. The results show that reducing migration barriers can further enrich cultural diversity and skill diversity, thus promoting innovation in multiple ways. Our results suggest that internal migrants and diversity can contribute to innovation in developing countries, highlighting the importance of reducing migration barriers to foster innovation.