Effect of socio-demographical factors on migration distance and its progress

Th e main goal of this study is to analyze the changes in migration distances of emigration movements out of the Moravian-Silesian Region from the year 1992 to 2006. Th ere is seen higher number of longer migration movements in dataset. Th is increase is evident obviously in the distance 140 km (migration to Brno) and 280 km (migration to Prague and its suburb), so distances of migration movements are longer. Th is eff ect supports the idea about the time-space convergence. Th is idea was fi rst stated by the sociologist Anthony Giddens, who claimed that places today are in timespace closer than in the past. Th is is aff ected by changes in transportation possibilities. Very interesting is the positive skewed histogram of migration distances ? most of all migration movements are for short distance. However, the number of short-distance migration movements is lower than in the past. Substitution of migration by commuting can be one of the explanations for this decrease. People have money for longer commuting, so they prefer living in the countryside and daily commuting to work. We can imagine these two types of spatial mobility as two diff erent extreme processes. If the price for daily commuting goes too high, it must be replaced by migration to closer position and so the commuting becomes cheaper. Th is imaginary boundary goes higher. Th e eff ect of all analyzed demographical aspects on migration distance is proved. To the longest migration distances moved single university educated people in 2006. If we analyze complete dataset as complex, we can divide this to some homogenous classes by analyzed demographical factors. Methodology of decision trees was used for this dividing. It can be said, that the people with college education in age from 25 to 35 years (right aft er graduation) move to the longest migration distances. Very interesting is the comparison with the situation in the Slovak republic (emigration from the Presov Region). As well as in the Moravian-Silesian Region, there are rising emigration distances in this region to the maximum in the year 2005 with average emigration distance 150 kms (maximum in theMoravian-Silesian Region was in 2006 with 190 kms). Th e biggest infl uence on migration distances has university education, marital status and number of children. Th e longest distances do university educated persons between 24 to 40 years, this is the same type of people as in case of the Moravian- Silesian Region.