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Abstract. Regional development has been the focal point of both academics and decision makers in the central and local governments of many European countries. Identifying the key problems that regions face and considering how their solutions could be effectively used as a basis for planning their development process, are essential in order to improve their conditions. The growth of a region depends on its ability to attract and retain both business units and the right blend of people to run them. In this context, we introduced a variable which is referred to as the image of a region and quantifies its attractiveness. A region's image depends on a variety of factors, economic, social, and environmental, some of which are common for all potential movers and some specific for particular groups, and expresses its current state of development and its future prospects. The paper examines a number of south European countries and focuses on their NUTS 2 level regions. Its objective is to estimate the image values of those regions and to group them into different clusters on the basis of the characteristics used to define their image. The results are presented and discussed.JEL classification: C02, C65, Q01, R58

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of personal and structural characteristics in the development of educational and occupational preferences, and examine the formation of students' perceptions about the labour market and the factors influencing the formation of these perceptions. Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected from a survey of high school students in urban areas. The findings are investigated using appropriate statistical tests. Findings -Students' choice of educational discipline is fairly evenly distributed, and seems to be influenced by the educational level of their parents. Other important influencing factors are family income, grades achieved by the students at school, and choice of future profession. Originality/value -Conclusively, the present study finds that background variables such as family education and income are significant in the formation of students' education and occupational preferences. The development of an occupational orientation program for students could contribute to a fit between the personal preferences of students and the occupational characteristics of the current labour market, possibly leading to positive consequences for both students and the labour market.

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