Zitatform

Albanese, Andrea & David Marguerit (2026): Labor-Market Consequences of Cross-Border Employment: A Machine Learning Approach. (IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER 18674), Bonn: IZA Network @ LISER, 44 S., App.

Abstract

"Cross-border work is expanding in the EU, yet its labor-market effects on the cross-border workers themselves remain largely undocumented. Using linked Belgian administrative registers that identify cross-border spells in Luxembourg, we estimate the effects of cross-border employment on post-return labor-market outcomes through dynamic double machine learning. Returnees face a short-run employment penalty that fades with cross-border tenure and time since return. They are also more likely to receive Belgian unemployment benefits than comparable stayers, with higher daily benefit levels among recipients." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Christl, Michael, Denisa Sologon, Ana Montes-Vinas & Raymond Wagener (2026): Integrated Labour Markets, Fragmented Welfare Systems: Cross-Border Work and the Measurement of Disposable Income. (IZA discussion paper / IZA Network @ LISER 18749), Esch-sur-Alzette, 25 S.

Abstract

"Cross-border labour markets integrate European regions economically, but welfare analysis remains constrained by national institutional systems. We build on the European tax-benefit model EUROMOD to incorporate cross-border taxation, social insurance coordination, and family benefit allocation, and apply it to hypothetical household scenarios for workers residing in France and Belgium and employed in Luxembourg. The disposable income consequences of cross-border employment are substantial and vary by household type and residence country. France's exemption-with-progression mechanism compresses the cross-border premium at high earnings, while Belgium's full exemption lets it persist and grow across the distribution. Modelling cross-border workers under residence-country rules alone overstates income equality, with the bias concentrated among households with children and at the lower end of the income distribution. Combining country-specific EUROMOD models through a harmonised counterfactual approach, the paper offers a replicable method for measuring disposable income in cross-border contexts, and shows that inequality measurement remains tied to national welfare institutions even where labour markets operate at a regional scale." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Coskun, Sena, Wolfgang Dauth, Hermann Gartner, Michael Stops & Enzo Weber (2026): How working from home is reshaping Germany’s commuting and residential landscapes. In: IAB-Forum H. 09.09.2026. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20260909.02

Abstract

"The rise of remote working has been changing where people in Germany work and live, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. By making the daily commute in many cases unnecessary, working from home weakens the hitherto strong geographical connection between residence and the workplace. Our recent study focusses on two important questions: Are people now willing to live further from their place of work? And are they taking up jobs that are much further away?" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Czirfusz, Márton (2026): Hungarian Migrant Workers’ Precarisation in Austria During COVID-19. In: Journal of International Migration and Integration, Jg. 27, H. 1, S. 47-64. DOI:10.1007/s12134-025-01296-4

Abstract

"This paper contributes to studies of migrant labor during the COVID-19 pandemic through an empirical case study of Hungarian nationals in Austria, the second-largest group of foreign workers in the country. By bridging scholarship on labour migration and precarization, the study shows that the pandemic further deepened the precarization of Hungarian workers in Austria. The analysis combines labor market register data with a qualitative thematic content analysis of media narratives about Hungarian workers in two Austrian newspapers from 2020 and 2021. The empirical section explores how the state and employers responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic. It argues that the Austrian state adopted exclusion and substitution strategies that adversely affected Hungarian workers. Employers aimed to sustain production and ensure a supply of healthy workers, which was partially aligned with workers’ interests but ultimately reproduced their precarious status. The study finds that workers were engaged in relatively few counterstrategies to improve their working conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Dicarlo, Emanuele (2026): Cross-border labor outflows, turnover, and adjustments of firms. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 102. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2026.102930

Abstract

"This paper studies how firm adjustment to outflows of workers depends on the state of the local labor market and possibly the shock size. My difference-in-differences analysis leverages the gradual liberalization of the Swiss labor market for EU citizens, that generated an exogenous negative labor supply shock for Italian firms, with treatment intensity defined by their distance from the border. Using detailed social security data, I document a large outflow of workers and a sharp increase in turnover. In smaller, more constrained labor markets close to the border, surviving firms suffer immediate productivity losses and later adopt a cost-saving strategy by mitigating wage growth. In contrast, firms in wider markets further from the border, facing a weaker shock, do not experience a decline in productivity and are able to increase wages for incumbent workers. The negative effects are concentrated in high-skill intensive firms, consistent with higher turnover costs and the loss of firm-specific human capital in smaller labor markets. These outcomes can be rationalized within a standard competitive model in the presence of labor market imperfections." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

Zitatform

Duan, Yige, Oskar Jost, Ramona Jost & Holger Seibert (2026): Beyond lost earnings: Job displacement and the cost of commuting. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 255, 2026-01-16. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2026.105579

Abstract

"We examine the impact of involuntary job displacement on workers ’ commuting behavior and its implications for the overall welfare cost of job loss. Using geo-referenced employee-employer data from Germany (2000–2017), we track workers’ door-to-door commuting and relocation patterns between home and work. After displacement, workers commute 23.1% (3.38 kilometers) farther to new jobs, and the effect diminishes over time due to job changes rather than home relocation. The simultaneous wage and commuting effects suggest that wage differentials across jobs fail to compensate for commuting costs. An on-the-job search model with heterogeneous firm productivity and commuting distance rationalizes the findings, and structural estimates reveal that an average German worker ’s commuting costs equal 20.2 euros per day. Hence, longer commutes exacerbate the total cost of job displacement by one-fifth of the wage losses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

Zitatform

Ehlert, Andree (2026): Regional demographic dynamics in Germany: A cluster-based analysis. In: Regional Science Policy & Practice, Jg. 18, H. 4. DOI:10.1016/j.rspp.2026.100285

Abstract

"Demographic change has profoundly influenced economic and societal developments in industrialised nations, driven by declining fertility, rising life expectancy, and migration dynamics. While national trends are well-documented, regional demographic variations remain underexplored, particularly in Germany, where demographic and economic divides are pronounced. This study investigates demographic heterogeneity across 400 German NUTS-3 regions, focusing on fertility, mortality, and migration, while also incorporating socioeconomic covariates. Using panel data from 1995 to 2022, it applies descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis to identify six demographic clusters and five distinct development trajectories. The findings reveal the complexity of regional demographic dynamics, challenging conventional East-West and urban-rural distinctions. By highlighting structural conditions and distinct regional patterns, the study provides an empirical foundation for region-specific policy measures and fosters a deeper understanding of demographic developments in Germany and beyond." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Regional Science Association International.) ((en))

Zitatform

Gaukel, Hanne, Roberto Impicciatore, Nazareno Panichella & Antonina Zhelenkova (2026): Gender and Internal Geographical Mobility in Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Family and Employment Over the Life Course. In: European Journal of Population, Jg. 42, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s10680-025-09763-5

Abstract

"This article presents an investigation into the gendered outcomes of inter-regional moves in six European countries, adopting a life-course perspective. Analyses are based on retrospective data from SHARELIFE for birth cohorts from the 1930s to 1960s in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. Linear probability panel models with fixed effects are used to examine the association between inter-regional migration and employment status over time, while assessing whether it differs by gender and family status. Results show that men experience improved employment probabilities following migration, regardless of their family status, and that these outcomes are consistent across countries. Moreover, the likelihood of employment for men continues to gradually increase several years after the move. In contrast, inter-regional mobility favours single women more than partnered women, especially mothers. Results, however, do not confirm a pattern of continued disadvantages, as mobility does not further reduce the employment prospects of mothers over time. The largest differences in the association between geographical mobility and employment between single women and mothers are observed in Mediterranean countries, while in more egalitarian countries like Sweden these differences are comparatively small." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jakubowski, Andrzej, Piotr Rosik, Tomasz Komornicki & Marcin Mazur (2026): Border permeability and cross-border mobility in Europe, 1960–2020. In: Regional Studies, Jg. 60, H. 1. DOI:10.1080/00343404.2026.2682503

Abstract

"This paper presents a long-term comparative assessment of border permeability across Europe at 10-year intervals between 1960 and 2020. Using a novel 10-point typology of border regimes, it traces spatio-temporal changes in border openness and their relation to the structural potential of cross-border mobility in adjacent regions, operationalised through demographic mass, economic attractiveness and other structural determinants. The results reveal evolving patterns of cross-border mobility potential, where permeability conditions enable the emergence of functional cross-border regions over time." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Lisi, Gaetano (2026): Job commuting and home moving: an extended Pissarides-style spatial model. In: Journal of Economic Studies, S. 1-16. DOI:10.1108/jes-03-2026-0291

Abstract

"Purpose: This paper studies the effects of commuting and moving costs on job creation and job mobility within an extended Pissarides-style spatial search and matching model. The analysis connects three strands of literature: commuting and job search, commuting and home moving and the housing liquidity issue. The paper also examines how housing market frictions, commuting distance and relocation costs shape labor market outcomes and workers' spatial allocation across regions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper develops a theoretical search and matching model à la Pissarides with two regional labor markets and a housing market characterized by search frictions. Workers can commute or relocate when receiving outside job offers. The housing market equilibrium is modeled through the interaction between house prices and time-on-the-market. The framework is further extended to account for heterogeneous workers, heterogeneous housing quality and the effects of transport policies and housing externalities. Findings: The analysis shows that commuting costs increase reservation wages, reduce job creation and raise unemployment. Moreover, commuting costs distort the spatial allocation of workers across regions. Relocation can improve job mobility, but it depends on housing liquidity and housing market frictions. At the aggregate level, moving decisions generate congestion externalities that worsen housing liquidity and reduce future mobility opportunities. The model also predicts higher housing prices and trading frictions in areas with better job opportunities and higher-quality housing. Research limitations/implications: The model is intentionally stylized and does not fully capture the complexity of real cities, such as detailed household sorting, heterogeneous transport networks, or institutional differences across housing systems. Nevertheless, the framework provides a tractable theoretical foundation for studying the interaction between labor mobility and housing market frictions. The paper also suggests several extensions that may improve the empirical realism of spatial search and matching models. Practical implications: The paper highlights important trade-offs for policymakers. Policies that improve accessibility and neighborhood quality may increase housing prices and reduce affordability. At the same time, housing market frictions and limited housing liquidity can restrict labor mobility and reduce access to better employment opportunities. Therefore, labor market efficiency depends not only on job creation policies, but also on housing market conditions, transport infrastructure and urban policies affecting residential mobility. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the literature by integrating commuting, relocation and housing liquidity into a unified Pissarides-style spatial framework. Unlike previous studies, it explicitly models the housing liquidity issue through a search and matching approach to the housing market and links time-on-the-market dynamics to labor mobility. The paper suggests a theoretical explanation of how moving congestion and housing market frictions may generate aggregate negative externalities affecting job mobility and unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

Zitatform

Neuber-Pohl, Caroline, Damiano Pregaldini, Uschi Backes-Gellner, Sandra Dummert & Harald Pfeifer (2026): Employment prospects and firm-based Training - Evidence from opening the Swiss-German border. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 99, 2025-12-22. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102848

Abstract

"We study how improved wage opportunities for skilled workers affect firm-based training, using the 2002 opening of the Swiss labor market to German commuters as a natural experiment. The reform triggered a large outflow of skilled workers from German border regions, prompting firms to expand apprenticeship training. Using a Difference-in-Differences approach, we find a significant increase in the number of apprenticeships in affected firms in Germany despite unchanged apprentice wages. This pattern is consistent with an outward shift in apprentice supply: higher wages for skilled workers across the border made apprenticeships more attractive to young people. Our findings suggest that improvements in skilled workers’ wage prospects, rather than adjusting apprentice pay, may help to address training gaps and alleviate skill shortages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

Zitatform

Ommeren, Jos N. van (2026): The labour market and commuting: The importance of search frictions and transport-related fringe benefits. In: Regional Science and Urban Economics. DOI:10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2026.104226

Abstract

"Canonical urban models treat the labour market as frictionless and therefore imply full compensation for commuting costs. Given job search frictions, workers accept jobs that do not fully compensate for commuting costs. As a result, commuting distances become longer and affect labour market outcomes, including wages, in a way not predicted by frictionless models. Special attention is given to the role of transport-related fringe benefits, including employer-provided parking and company cars, which further increase commuting distances via tax-induced distortions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

Zitatform

Schmidt, Robyn (2026): Näher dran – schneller weg? Wie das Vertragslösungsrisiko mit dem Mobilitätsverhalten von Auszubildenden zusammenhängt. In: Berufsbildung in Wissenschaft und Praxis, Jg. 55, H. 1, S. 21-23.

Zitatform

Trager, Johanna & Marie Jelínková (2026): Anticipating structural changes? effects of automation and digitalization on cross-border commuting in low-skilled manual jobs. In: European Planning Studies, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/09654313.2025.2577686

Abstract

"This study explores the implications of automation and digitalization for low-skilled cross-border commuters, drawing on evidence from the Bavarian-Czech context. Based on interviews with companies employing cross-border commuters, we explore future employment prospects and employability. Findings show that training in digitalized work processes is hindered by limited German language skills, though these skills become less relevant once training is completed. Automation shifts labour shortages to higher-skilled positions, reducing opportunities for lateral entry, currently the main pathway for Czech cross-border commuters. Lacking recognition of Czech vocational training further reinforces this mismatch, particularly in highly automated sectors such as manufacturing, which employs the largest share of Czech cross-border commuters. In contrast, impacts are less pronounced in healthcare or hospitality. Overall, advancing automation and digitalization create growing challenges for cross-border commuting, as skill mismatches and language barriers may reduce the employability of Czech workers in the German border region, potentially reshaping labour market integration and reinforcing the peripheral position of border regions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Wicht, Alexandra, Paula Protsch, Laura Menze & Katarina Weßling (2026): Spatial mobility and occupational status attainment in the transition from school to work in Germany. In: Advances in life course research, Jg. 67. DOI:10.1016/j.alcr.2026.100728

Abstract

"This study investigates opportunities for occupational status attainment through spatial mobility in early stratification processes. We focus in particular on how this relationship is conditioned by young people’s occupational status aspirations as well as by institutional and local structural opportunities, thereby scrutinizing how spatial mobility may contribute to unequal career opportunities. Empirically, we analyze occupational status attainment in the transition from school to Vocational Education and Journal Pre-proof 2 Training (VET) in Germany. Using longitudinal data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) combined with fine-grained regional information, we show that young people who commute or relocate for a VET position are more likely to secure higher-status VET positions. Yet spatial mobility is only associated with higher occupational status attainment among young people with higher levels of occupational status aspirations, among those originating from structurally weak regions and those with at least an intermediate secondary school-leaving certificate. We conclude that spatial mobility can enable young people to overcome regional disadvantages, functioning as an agentic strategy for pursuing occupational goals more effectively. At the same time, it tends to widen status differentials between socially stratified educational groups and remains shaped by local structural opportunities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Brixy, Udo & Anette Haas (2025): Die Wege zwischen Arbeits- und Wohnort sind seit der Covid-19-Pandemie deutlich länger geworden. In: IAB-Forum H. 13.06.2025 Nürnberg, 2025-06-17. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250613.01

Abstract

"Während sich die durchschnittlichen Pendeldistanzen in den Jahren vor der Pandemie kaum veränderten, haben diese seit 2020 deutlich zugenommen. Dies hat auch damit zu tun, dass Homeoffice seither massiv an Bedeutung gewonnen hat. Allerdings trifft dies nicht für alle Beschäftigtengruppen in gleichem Umfang zu. So arbeiten insbesondere Frauen in Teilzeit vergleichsweise selten von zu Hause. Zugleich pendeln Männer im Schnitt nach wie vor über deutlich längere Distanzen als Frauen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bächli, Mirjam & Teodora Tsankova (2025): Free Movement of Workers and Native Demand for Tertiary Education. In: The Journal of Human Resources, Jg. 60, H. 6, S. 2038-2070. DOI:10.3368/jhr.0721-11805r2

Abstract

"We investigate how the introduction of free movement of workers affects enrolment of natives in tertiary education. In a difference-in-differences framework, we exploit a policy change that led to a significant increase in the share of cross-border commuters in local employment in border regions of Switzerland. Our results show a rise in enrolment at Universities of Applied Sciences in affected relative to non-affected regions in the post-reform period but no change in enrolment at traditional universities. Furthermore, we find that enrolment increases in non-STEM fields that build skills less transferable across national borders. This allows for complementarities with foreign workers who are more likely to hold occupations requiring STEM training. Individuals with a labor market oriented education such as vocationally trained respond to the increase in labor market competition because they have employment opportunities and access to tertiary education through Universities of Applied Sciences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bütikofer, Aline, René Karadakic & Alexander Willén (2025): Parenthood and the gender gap in commuting. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 248. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2025.105371

Abstract

"Childbirth raises the opportunity cost of commuting and makes it difficult for both parents to work far away from home. Using detailed Norwegian employer–employee matched register data, we show that the commuting behavior of men and women diverges immediately after childbirth and that those differences persist for at least a decade. This divergence in commuting behavior exposes mothers to more concentrated and suburban labor markets with fewer job opportunities and lower establishment quality. These findings uncover a key mechanism underlying the child penalty documented in prior work and have important implications for the design of policies seeking to address the remaining gender wage gap." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

Zitatform

Charlier, Dorothée, Bérangère Legendre & Sarah Le-Duigou (2025): Carbon taxes and labor market: Balancing environmental and social impacts. In: Economic Modelling, Jg. 147. DOI:10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107041

Abstract

"This paper explores the impact of carbon taxation on labor market performance, particularly focusing on the adverse effects of rising fuel prices on workers’ mobility, employment, and wages. Using a spatial mismatch job search model, we show that while carbon taxes reduce CO2 emissions, they also exacerbate unemployment for workers living far from major job centers and depress wages. Our analysis, grounded in French data, highlights that rural and low-income workers are disproportionately affected by the increased commuting costs. To mitigate these effects, we evaluate compensatory policies such as employment premiums, which can enhance the social acceptability of carbon taxes without compromising environmental goals. The findings underscore the importance of balancing environmental objectives with labor market equity to ensure sustainable and socially inclusive climate policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

Zitatform

Coskun, Sena, Wolfgang Dauth, Hermann Gartner, Michael Stops & Enzo Weber (2025): Die Distanzen werden größer. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung H. 16.06.2025 Frankfurt am Main.

Abstract

"Nach Corona zeigt sich: Homeoffice vergrößert die Entfernung zwischen Arbeitsplatz und Wohnort. Das bietet Chancen für Arbeits- und Wohnungsmärkte." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)