Migrants and boomtowns: evidence from the US shale boom

This paper analyses if and how oil and gas developments foster in-migration of workers into boomtowns. In particular, we focus on the workers' human capital, as a way to help local growth. Using a zero-inflated negative binomial model, we find that oil and gas shocks, on average, take three years to significantly impact migration flows into boomtowns. The migration response is heterogeneous with a disproportionately higher positive effect for medium-high human capital workers. The types of human capital gained by rural and sparsely populated boomtowns can have important policy implications for their long-run growth and economic resilience.