PhD ceremony Mr. G.J. Hoogstra: Location changes of jobs and people. Analyses of population-employment interactions and impacts of gender and geography

PhD ceremony: Mr. G.J. Hoogstra, 16.15 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Location changes of jobs and people. Analyses of population-employment interactions and impacts of gender and geography

Promotor(s): prof. J. van Dijk, prof. R.J.G.M. Florax

Faculty: Spatial Sciences

This thesis focuses on intra- and inter-regional growth differences and the question of whether employment changes precede population changes or population changes precede employment changes (i.e., do “people follow jobs” or do “jobs follow people). The answer to this question is crucial for understanding, predicting and influencing spatial-economic developments.

In this thesis, a meta-analysis is performed on 37 econometric studies and 308 study results that reveal the nature of population-employment interactions. These study results vary widely, but point more towards “jobs follow people”. Meta-regression analyses subsequently show that both data related and methodological study factors explain the variation in study results.

This thesis also investigates the impact of distance and gender. Spatial econometric analyses on postcode data from the Northern Netherlands show that the interactions stretch over a distance of about 7 to 60 kilometres (straight-line) and 45 minutes travel time (by road). For both the employment of women and men, “jobs follow people more than people follow jobs” but at very different distance intervals (< 15 minutes travel distance for the former and 30-45 minutes for the latter). For both these employment groups, the employment growth in a postcode area is mostly affected by the employment growth in neighbouring postcode areas within 30 minutes travel distance.

The results of this thesis provide important insights for policy and future research on the spatial dynamics of jobs and people.