Mobility within Europe - the Attitudes of European Youngsters

27 Pages Posted: 9 Sep 2003

See all articles by Michael Fertig

Michael Fertig

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI Essen); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Christoph M. Schmidt

RWI - Leibniz-Insitut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI Essen); Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Date Written: October 2002

Abstract

Intensified European integration, enlargement of the EU, and increasing migration activity worldwide have pushed migration and migration policy to the forefront of the European agenda. While many observers hesitate to embrace immigration emanating from outside Europe, sectoral skill shortages and social security systems under demographic pressure have fostered an almost unanimous call for larger mobility within Europe. Yet, neither does intra-European migration respond to this request, nor are the possible consequences of increased migration activity well understood. This paper embeds this discussion into a systematic classification of economic migration research according to its major conceptual and applied questions. The state of theoretical and empirical research in this literature is reviewed briefly, with a focus on intra-European migration. We conclude that the relatively positive assessment of this type of migration mainly derives from its high skill content. To prepare the prediction of future developments, we offer empirical evidence on the determinants of intra-EU-migration by an analysis of the Eurobarometer survey. Unless information deficits, traces of xenophobic tendencies, and the perception of prohibitively high levels of bureaucratic red tape are overcome, intra-European migration will not play the role it is hoped for.

Keywords: Labor mobility, migration intention, intra-EU-migration

JEL Classification: F22, J61

Suggested Citation

Fertig, Michael and Schmidt, Christoph M., Mobility within Europe - the Attitudes of European Youngsters (October 2002). RWI Discussion Paper No. 1, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=432540 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.432540

Michael Fertig (Contact Author)

Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI Essen) ( email )

Hohenzollernstrasse 1-3
45128 Essen
Germany
++49 (201) 8149-201 (Phone)
++49 (201) 8149-236 (Fax)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Christoph M. Schmidt

RWI - Leibniz-Insitut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI Essen) ( email )

Hohenzollernstraße 1-3
Essen, 45128
Germany
++49 201 8149-227 (Phone)
++49 201 8149-236 (Fax)

Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)

GC 2/150
Universitätsstr. 150
D-44780 Bochum
Germany

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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