Migration for necessity or proficiency: The Netherlands, 1750-1920
While a significant body of literature exists on migration, the process itself remains incompletely understood, particularly during the premodern period. Specifically, the relationship between migration and the formation of human capital is not fully explored. Were migrants primarily skilled artisans or journeymen seeking to enhance their skills and specialization by moving across Europe, or were they predominantly unskilled individuals compelled to leave their birthplaces out of necessity? In this paper, we depart from the common practice of examining migration snapshots, and instead adopt a comparative perspective on migration trajectories between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To do so, we utilize data from the Admissieregisters and the Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN), which offer a comprehensive sample of migrants complete with information on birthplaces, origins, and destinations, allowing for analysis beyond the initial migration. By incorporating occupational data, we can investigate how these migration patterns may have influenced the formation of human capital. Our findings indicate that migrants in the eighteenth century were more mobile than one might expect based on notions of a mobility transition occurring in the nineteenth century. We speculate that the mobility patterns we observe in the eighteenth century, characterized by short stays and significant rates of return migration, likely facilitated the diffusion of skills to small towns and villages, albeit potentially impeding specialization.