Willingness to Move for Work and Unemployment Duration

CEMFI Working Paper No. 9801

Posted: 30 Apr 1999

See all articles by Namkee Ahn

Namkee Ahn

Foundation for Applied Economic Research (FEDEA)

Sara de la Rica

Universidad del Pais Vasco; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Arantza Ugidos

University of the Basque Country

Date Written: 1998

Abstract

This paper examines unemployed workers' willingness to move for work and its relationship with their unemployment duration in Spain. We use a hypothetical question in the Spanish Labour Force Survey: "Would you accept a job offer which implied a change of residence?" The main finding is that while family responsibilities, age and education are important in determining individuals' migration willingness, the duration of unemployment does not show any significant effect, even after controlling for unobserved fixed individual heterogeneity. However, the significant improvement in migration willingness after exhaustion of unemployment benefits (or when other household members become unemployed) suggests that economic incentives could play an important role in increasing worker mobility. We also find that the job-finding probability is significantly higher among those with positive migration attitudes than among others.

JEL Classification: J60

Suggested Citation

Ahn, Namkee and de la Rica, Sara and Ugidos Olazabal, Arantza, Willingness to Move for Work and Unemployment Duration (1998). CEMFI Working Paper No. 9801, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=145133

Namkee Ahn

Foundation for Applied Economic Research (FEDEA) ( email )

Jorge Juan 46
Madrid, 28001
Spain

Sara De la Rica (Contact Author)

Universidad del Pais Vasco ( email )

Barrio Sarriena s/n
Leioa, Bizkaia 48940
Spain

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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

Arantza Ugidos Olazabal

University of the Basque Country ( email )

Barrio Sarriena s/n
Leioa, Bizkaia 48940
Spain

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