EU FP7 Marie Curie IEF 'MOBILITY'

Labour market behaviour and migration: a cross-national comparison of the relationship between occupational and geographical mobility in late-modern societies.

The proposed project will address the link between geographical and social mobility by examining the relationship of individuals’ occupational mobility and their geographical mobility behaviour in the life course. The investigation of the patterns of occupational mobility in connection with geographical mobility will provide insights into career pathways in late-modern societies and so will add to the understanding of the labour market behaviour of people and households. In a broader sense the research seeks to give answer to the question whether there is a rationale for geographical mobility (in order to experience upward occupational mobility) in late-modern societies. Research on the dynamics of employment instability, job mobility and geographical mobility also add to our understanding of social inequality structures. To accomplish this aim, firstly, longitudinal information will be obtained as traditional cross-sectional approaches to longitudinal research cannot capture trajectories of individual life histories and dynamic processes that underlie social change. Secondly, nation-specific structural and institutional contexts with regard to labour markets and related markets such as the housing market and the educational system need to be considered as they shape opportunities and constraints, and in this way influence the choices people make. For that purpose, Germany and Great Britain are chosen for comparison as both countries belong to different welfare regimes. Accordingly, the mobility regimes also differ in both countries. Given the longitudinal requirements of the research objective panel datasets will be used that cover a broad range of social science including employment, residential mobility and housing conditions. For that reason, the German Socio-Economic Panel and the British Household Panel will be consulted.