Teachers’ desired mobility to disadvantaged schools: Do financial incentives matter?

This article exploits a 2018 reform of financial incentives for teachers to work in French disadvantaged schools. Based on administrative personnel records from an educational authority, it evaluates the impact of those incentives on stated preferences to move to such schools. This quasi-experimental source of variation of financial incentives, namely a gradual doubling of the annual stipend from €2,300 to €4,600 in these schools, enhanced their attractiveness. The estimated effect on teachers’ desired mobility is substantial and equivalent to a 34-minute reduction per trip. However, this effect is heterogeneous among teachers, notably higher for those with less experience and who already work in such schools.