Xiuxiang Pan (p), Daniele Mantegazzi, Sierdjan Koster, Dimitris Ballas

Marika Gruber

Migration provides important opportunities for individuals to change and pursue a better life. In this regard, these opportunities could be widened and increased with a greater migration flexibility - measured by maximum migration distance and frequency. Previous studies have viewed migration as a learned behaviour and an accumulative process. As a result, the impact of childhood migration on adult migration patterns has been a topic of interest in the field of migration studies for many years. However, it remains unclear how the migration experience shapes their migration flexibility in adulthood. This study aims to examine the relationship between migration experience in childhood and the subsequent migration flexibility in adulthood, using data from multiple waves of the Understanding Society study in the United Kingdom.
Our objective is to answer the following questions: (1) Does the childhood migration experience booster or decrease their future migration flexibility? (2) Does the association depend on the childhood move type (e.g., internal & international migration, inter-region & intra-region)? A fixed-effect model will be employed to analyse the data. The findings of this study will add to the growing body of literature on the long-term effects of childhood migration and underscore the importance of considering the experiences of migrant children in policy discussions around migration.

Jaakko Simonen (p), Philip McCann, Rauli Svento, Santtu Karhinen

Xiuxiang Pan

In this article we analyse for the first time how sector-specific, and region-specific features affect intra- and inter-regional labor mobility along the industry life cycle. Using uniquely-detailed panel-type data from the Finnish high technology sectors, our analysis demonstrates that the influence of different features varies for different types of job-changes and labor-mobility and also varies through the industry life cycle. We find that the classic agglomeration-type arguments regarding labor search and matching do operate throughout all of the stages of the industry life cycle, although in quite different ways. In particular, there are common aspects which help to insulate clustered localities against adverse economic shocks.

Steven Kema, Viktor Venhorst (p)

Jaakko Simonen

The international literature has documented many cases where, in mostly peripheral regions, hospitals struggle to fill vacancies for Medical Specialists. This holds true also in the setting of The Netherlands, were distances and geographical diversity arguably are relatively limited. Earlier research in the Dutch context has demonstratedthat, in sp ite of the relative short distances, regional differences in waiting times between med school and further specialisation, and subsequent entry into the field persist. Limited spatial mobility appears part of the issue. Conversely, it has been noted that recently graduated doctors and specialists are finding it harder to enter the profession: often only part-time or short term contracts appear on offer. In addition, migration abroad is deemed necessary. The current paper dives deeper into (regional differences in) this seeming discrepancy and investigates the quality of the labour market entry in relation to (trends in) spatial mobility. We use registry data from Statistics Netherlands to map out the entry into the labour market for this group. We use a system change in declarations, which has lead to an increase in the amount of doctors operating via their own business, to study the effect of demand shocks.

Marika Gruber (p), Christina Lobnig, Kathrin Zupan

Viktor Venhorst

Carinthia (with the exception of the central region Klagenfurt-Villach) is the only Austrian province whose population will shrink in the long term (Statistik Austria 2021). Especially rural areas in Carinthia are experiencing high rates of out-migration with increasingly low economic performance. Hence, international immigration plays a central role in strengthening and revitalising rural areas (Aigner-Walder et al. 2021; Stainer-Hämmerle/Zametter 2021).
The aim of the paper is to elaborate the effects of international migration from third countries on economic and regional development in rural areas with a focus on Carinthia and the case study region Villach and its rural surrounding. The contribution is based on desk research (analysis of existing studies, population statistics and forecasts), as well as 21 qualitative interviews with entrepreneurs, human resources managers and employees with and without a migrant background, as well as a focus group discussion with five responsible persons from business, industry, regional and rural development, which were conducted within the framework of the Horizon2020 project "MATILDE".
The results for Carinthia, especially Villach and the surrounding rural communities, show that migrants have a positive influence on economic life, the companies themselves and regional development. For example, companies benefit from immigration by mitigating labour shortages (e.g. in tourism) and (highly qualified) skilled workers are also recruited from abroad. Both increase the internationality and diversity of the companies’ workforces and promote the further internationalisation of the companies, the opening up of new markets and the innovation potential through the available cultural knowledge and multilingualism. The support of immigrant employees and entrepreneurs in their arrival and social integration has led, among other things, to the establishment of special service centres that also promote exchange between the immigrant and resident population, which has created new jobs (Gruber et al. 2021).

References:
Aigner-Walder, B./ Luger, A./ Schomaker, R. (2021): Economic Impact of Migration. Statistical Briefings Austria. MATILDE-Deliverable 4.2. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4817376.
Gruber, M./Machold, I./Bauchinger, L./Dax, T./Lobnig, C./Pöcher, J./Zupan, K. (2021): Country Report Austria. In: Caputo M. L./Bianchi, M./Membretti. A./ Baglioni, S. (Hrsg.): 10 country reports on economic impact, MATILDE-Deliverable 4.3. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5017813.
Stainer-Hämmerle, K. & Zametter, T (2021): Demographie_Check: Kärnten 2020. https://www.ktn.gv.at/Verwaltung/Amt-der-Kaerntner-Landesregierung/Abteilung-10/Publikationen (zuletzt zugegriffen am 24.01.2022).
Statistik Austria (2021): Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Bundesländern 2020 bis 2080, mittlere Variante. Erstellt am 11.11.2021. Online unter URL: https://pic.statistik.at/wcm/idc/groups/b/documents/webobj/mdaw/mdi3/~edisp/027334.png (Stand: 07.01.2022).