The Effect of Unemployment on Interregional Migration in the Netherlands

Using administrative data between 2006 and 2020, I analyze interregional migration in the Netherlands. In theory, individuals move out of regions with high unemployment rates, but most empirical research does not strongly support this prediction. Likewise, I only find a small effect of regional unemployment on interregional migration. Furthermore, I find that the unemployed are more mobile during the first three months of unemployment. In addition, my results suggest that renters in the private sector are much more mobile than homeowners or renters in the social housing sector. Finally, I find that commuters are much more likely to migrate, despite good infrastructure and relative short distances in The Netherlands