Status returns to spatial mobility in the transition from school to work

Spatial mobility plays a crucial role in shaping social stratification processes. While previous research focused on adult workers’ monetary returns from commuting or relocating, early career gains in occupational status may be more significant from a life course perspective. We examine whether spatial mobility yields status returns for labor market entrants and, if so, how such returns might be stratified by young people’s local opportunity structures and their level of schooling. We use longitudinal data from the German National Educational Panel Study merged with fine-grained regional information and focus on transitions from school to Vocational Education and Training (VET). As a novel approach to address the methodological challenge of self-selection into spatial mobility, we propose incorporating young people’s occupational aspirations into the regression analysis. We show that mobile young people are more likely to get higher-status VET positions. Yet, being spatially mobile only pays off if young people commute or move away from structurally weak regions and for those with higher levels of schooling who are already privileged in status attainment. We conclude that young people can potentially overcome regional disadvantages through spatial mobility, while spatial mobility also tends to widen the gap in status attainment between educational groups.