INTERNAL MIGRATION AND WELL-BEING: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

This thesis evaluates internal migrants' well-being through investigating their monthly remuneration and health outcomes in four cities in Indonesia: Medan, Makassar, Samarinda and Tangerang. Data from the Rural-Urban Migration in Indonesia (RUMiI) survey for years 2008 and 2009 is used. Results suggest that migrants seem to assimilate to the urban labour market, whereby there are no significant penalties observed in their remuneration and health outcomes (subjective overall health, physical health and mental health) relative to non-migrants. These findings suggest that within a free flow migration policy environment, migrants do not experience adverse remuneration and health effects.