How to woo the smart ones? Evaluating the determinants that particularly attract highly qualified people to cities

Human capital is a driving factor of innovation and economic growth. Urban economies in particular depend on highly qualified workers; therefore, attracting highly skilled workers is a key factor for cities' economic prospects. We analyze the determinants that influence the migration of highly...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of urban affairs Vol. 39; no. 6; pp. 764 - 782
Main Authors Buch, Tanja, Hamann, Silke, Niebuhr, Annekatrin, Rossen, Anja
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Newark Routledge 01.01.2017
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Cities
Economic analysis
Economic conditions
Economic development
Economic factors
Economic growth
Human capital
Labor market
Labor migration
Migration
Occupational mobility
Preferences
Skilled workers
Urban development
Work
Workers
Workforce
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Summary:Human capital is a driving factor of innovation and economic growth. Urban economies in particular depend on highly qualified workers; therefore, attracting highly skilled workers is a key factor for cities' economic prospects. We analyze the determinants that influence the migration of highly skilled workers by investigating the migration balance of German cities between 2000 and 2010. The study compares the significance of various work- and amenity-related variables for highly qualified workers and the remaining workforce. The findings suggest that local labor market conditions influence mobility decisions, but amenities matter, too. The preferences of highly qualified workers seem to differ somewhat from those of the rest of the workforce. However, there are also several factors that do not show systematic differences across skill groups.
ISSN:0735-2166
1467-9906
DOI:10.1080/07352166.2017.1282765