A Harris-Todaro agent-based model to rural-urban migration
Authored by Aquino L. Espindola, Jaylson J. Silveira, T. J. P. Penna
Date Published: 2006-09
DOI: 10.1590/s0103-97332006000500002
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Abstract
The Harris-Todaro model of the rural-urban migration process is revisited under an agent-based approach. The migration of the workers is interpreted as a process of social learning by imitation, formalized by a computational model. By simulating this model, we observe a transitional dynamics with continuous growth of the urban fraction of overall population toward an equilibrium. Such an equilibrium is characterized by stabilization of rural-urban expected wages differential (generalized Harris-Todaro equilibrium condition), urban concentration and urban unemployment. These classic results obtained originally by Harris and Todaro are emergent proper-ties of our model.
Tags
Agent-based model
econophysics
Complex system
Harris-Todaro model