Labour mobility - an adjustment mechanism in Euroland? Empirical evidence for Western Germany, France and Italy

Arbeitspapier

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether labour mobility is likely to act as a sufficient adjustment mechanism in the face of asymmetric shocks in Euroland. To this end, we estimate the elasticity of migration with respect to changes in unemployment and income on the basis of regional panel data provided by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Regression results are provided for Western Germany, France, and Italy. It is shown that labour mobility is highest in Germany, followed by France, and Italy. However, even in Germany, the accommodation of a shock to unemployment by migration takes several years. We conclude that labour mobility is extremely unlikely to act as a sufficient adjustment mechanism to asymmetric shocks in Euroland.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: ZEW Discussion Papers ; No. 99-47

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; General Outlook and Conditions ; Comparative Studies of Particular Economies ; Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
• Subject: European Monetary Union (EMU) ; euro ; labour mobility ; Europäische Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion ; Schock ; Wirtschaftliche Anpassung ; Arbeitsmobilität ; Schätzung ; Deutschland ; Frankreich ; Italien

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Puhani, Patrick A.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung (ZEW)
• (where): Mannheim
• (when): 1999

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/24329
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET