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What Attracts Human Capital? Understanding the Skill Composition of Interregional Job Matches in Germany

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  • Melanie Arntz

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Arntz M. What attracts human capital? Understanding the skill composition of interregional job matches in Germany, Regional Studies. By examining pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors in the destination choices of heterogeneous job movers, this paper tries to explain the skill composition of interregional job matches in Germany. It thus provides insights on how policy can affect the spatial allocation of human capital to promote convergence between regions such as eastern and western Germany. Estimates from a nested logit model suggest that the spatial pattern of job moves by high-skilled individuals are mainly driven by interregional income differentials, while interregional job matches by less-skilled individuals are mainly determined by interregional differentials in job opportunities. The role of regional amenities in attracting high-skilled labour turns out to be less clear. [image omitted] Arntz M. Qu'est-ce qui seduit le capital humain?: comprendre l'ensemble des competences des emplois correspondants interregionaux en Allemagne, Regional Studies. En examinant des facteurs pecuniaires et non-pecuniaires quant a la destination des individus a la recherche d'emploi heterogenes, cet article essaye d'expliquer l'ensembles des competences des emplois correspondants en Allemagne. Il fournit donc des apercus sur la facon dont la politique peut influer sur la distribution geographique du capital humain dans le but de promouvoir la convergence des regions, telles l'est et l'ouest de l'Allemagne. Des estimations provenant d'un modele du type logit emboite laissent supposer que les ecarts du revenu regional sont le principal moteur de la distribution geographique des deplacements a la recherche d'emploi par des individus hautement qualifies, alors que les emplois correspondants inter-regionaux des individus moins qualifies sont determines dans une large mesure par les ecarts inter-regionaux des possibilites d'emploi. Il s'avere que le role des equipements regionaux dans l'attraction de la main-d'oeuvre hautement qualifiee est moins evident. Choix de destination Distribution geographique du capital humain Convergence Arntz M. Was zieht Humankapital an? Ein Beitrag zu einem besseren Verstandnis der qualifikatorischen Zusammensetzung von interregionalen Arbeitsplatzwechseln in Deutschland, Regional Studies. Durch eine Untersuchung von pekuniaren und nicht pekuniaren Faktoren bei der Standortwahl heterogener Arbeitsplatzwechsler wird in diesem Beitrag versucht, die Zusammensetzung von Qualifikationen bei der interregionalen Angebots- und Nachfragesituation auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt zu erklaren. Auf diese Weise werden Einblicke geliefert, wie die Politik auf die raumliche Zuweisung von Humankapital einwirken kann, um die Konvergenz von Regionen wie Ost- und Westdeutschland zu fordern. Die Schatzungen eines Nested-Logit-Modells lassen darauf schliessen, dass das raumliche Muster des Arbeitsplatzwechsels von hochqualifizierten Personen in erster Linie von interregionalen Einkommensdifferentialen abhangt, wahrend die interregionale Arbeitsplatzsuche weniger qualifizierter Personen vor allem von interregionalen Differentialen hinsichtlich des Arbeitsplatzangebots beeinflusst wird. Die Bedeutung weicher Standortfaktoren fur die Zuwanderung Hochqualifizierter erweist sich als weniger klar. Standortwahl Raumliche Zuweisung von Humankapital Konvergenz Arntz M. ¿Que atrae el capital humano? Entender la composicion de habilidades de adaptacion laboral interregional en Alemania, Regional Studies. Al examinar los factores pecuniarios y no pecuniarios en la eleccion de destinos por parte de las personas heterogeneas que cambian de domicilio por motivos laborales, en este articulo intento explicar la composicion de habilidades de la demanda y oferta laboral a nivel interregional en Alemania. De este modo, expongo una perspectiva de como puede afectar la politica a la asignacion espacial del capital humano para fomentar la convergencia entre las regiones, tales como el este y el oeste de Alemania. Las estimaciones de un modelo logit anidado indican que el modelo espacial de movimientos laborales de individuos altamente cualificados esta impulsado principalmente por diferenciales de ingresos interregionales, mientras que la demanda interregional de empleo por personas menos cualificadas esta determinada sobre todo por diferenciales interregionales en las oportunidades laborales. Lo que esta menos claro es el papel de las prestaciones regionales a la hora de atraer mano de obra altamente cualificada. Eleccion del destino Asignacion espacial del capital humano Convergencia

Suggested Citation

  • Melanie Arntz, 2010. "What Attracts Human Capital? Understanding the Skill Composition of Interregional Job Matches in Germany," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 423-441.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:44:y:2010:i:4:p:423-441
    DOI: 10.1080/00343400802663532
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Destination choice; Spatial allocation of human capital; Convergence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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