Income and occupational situation of dual-earners after moving to another area

Abstract

"Utility theory approaches for explaining migration decisions are based on the consideration that moves to another area occur in particular when the potential migrants expect to gain from them an improvement in their income, their occupational prospects or their social position. Empirical studies have long proved that these expectations are fulfilled. In the case of dual-earner households migrating, however, the validity of such results must be qualified, as there are cleardifferences between the migration experiences of women and men. American studies on the occupational consequences of the migration of families reach the conclusion that men generally benefit from moving, whereas women are employed less frequently after moving and earn less. In the opinion of many authors the reason for this can be found in the subordinate position of women in family decisions concerning migration. Based on the analysis of the data of the socio- economic panel from 1984 to 1996, this report shows that these statements are confirmed in general for western Germany. However, the consequences of migration for western German women must be examined more closely. Whereas the losses of income prove to be relatively strong and also persistent, hardly any deteriorations can be seen with regard to the subjective judgment of a number of qualitative characteristics of the workplace when compared with women who have not migrated. In eastern Germany neither the qualitative changes nor the financial consequences of migration for women appear to be particularly serious." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Jürges, H. (1998): Einkommen und berufliche Situation von Doppelverdienern nach Umzügen. In: Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, Vol. 31, No. 2, p. 234-243.