Analysis of relationship between living environment and labor migration potential

Abstract

One of the most important challenges, both on the macro and the personal levels, is to explore the reasons behind and factors influencing labor migration. The relevant literature agrees that pure economic interest or necessity is not sufficient to explain its causes or even migration potential and that we also should consider various social and psychological aspects, for instance, environmental issues. Studies on the subject consider the environmental mostly only in the form of disasters or as effects of climate change but there can be other interpretations. This paper focuses on the living environment (encompassing residential area and apartment type) as a valuable issue because, with migration, it surely goes through a fundamental transformation.

The paper summarizes the results of a pilot survey linked to the international MOVE project, executing systematic data collection in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county about young people’s mobility patterns. Research sample consists of 184 business students of the University of Miskolc and is not representative.

Responses about migration potential outlined five groups of migration intention. 15.2% of the sample definitely plans labor migration even abroad or within Hungary, 4.9% surely reject the idea, 43.5% is open to labor migration within Hungary and 25.5% only abroad for a while. 10.9% is the ratio of uncertain respondents. Moreover, working abroad is mostly a short-term interest, as well as a Hungarian workplace with missions abroad. Respondents from cities are more open to labor migration than rural resident ones.

The survey also asks about present and expected future settlement, residential area and house or flat types. The core variables include intention to labor migration within Hungary or abroad. The analysis’ main goal is to explore the relations between the variables in order to prepare a wide empirical survey. Its results show that while a convincing relationship is missing between the factors of present living environment and labor migration potential, the future expectations and the need to change the living environment or the house type show significant relations with it. Behind the need for change may stand dissatisfaction and, therefore, measuring satisfaction with the living environment would be useful if the impact of other factors could be filtered out. These experiences also allow us to formulate targeted questions.