Spatial Mobility and Commuting: The Case of Two‐earner Households*

Abstract

ABSTRACT. We examine the effects of the spatial configuration of workers' residence and workplace location on intraregional residential and job moving decisions of workers belonging to two-earner households. We hypothesize that two-earner households' residential mobility depends positively on the commuting distance of both spouses, but negatively on the distance between workplaces. Further, we hypothesize that workers' job mobility depends positively on the worker's commuting distance, negatively on the spouse's commuting distance, and positively on the distance between workplaces. Using data for Denmark, it appears that these hypotheses hold, and that the effects of the spatial configuration are rather large.

Intra-household commuting choices and local labour markets

“…2 The journey to work is a result of decisions on both job location and home location. While in some circumstances these might be viewed as simultaneous decisions, and this has been the focus of some of the recent search literature (see for example van Ommeren, 2000;Deding et al, 2009), in reality most decisions will proceed from one fixed point; so at any point in time either the job is fixed and the relevant decision is where to live, or the home location is fixed and the decision is where to work. We argue here that the latter is a reasonable assumption for many households, because job moves are generally easier than home moves.…”

“…This idea of a commuting threshold is incorporated into the job search model of van den Berg and Gorter (1997), and a number of empirical studies have estimated the threshold for different cities and different time periods. In addition, Clark and Huang (2004) point out that households of different types will have differing sensitivity to the separation between income and work; and in relation to dual-earner households, both theory and evidence suggest that they, as well as those households with children, and homeowners, may have a higher move threshold (and thus a lower propensity to move) than single or childless households, or renters (Clark et al, 2003;Deding et al, 2009;Rabe, 2011). Beesley and Dalvi (1974) suggest a simplified typology of individuals dependent on value of time and utility of income; this typology is shown in Fig.…”

“…Using data for Denmark, Deding et al (2009) treat commuting as an input in a job mobility model and find that, in two-earner households, a worker's job mobility depends positively on their own commuting distance and negatively on their spouses, as well as negatively on the distance between the two workers' workplaces. 7 Their theoretical model, based on that of van Ommeren et al (1998), predicts that two-earner households do not minimize the current commuting distances of both spouses.…”

Does labor diversity promote entrepreneurship?

“…6 The commuting area level presents a suitable supply driven instrument for workplace level diversity because commuting areas in Denmark (except for the area around Copenhagen) are relatively small and therefore firms very likely recruit workers from a given local supply of labor, which is characterized by a certain degree of heterogeneity. This argument is further reinforced by the role of networks in the employment process (Munshi, 2003) and rather low residential mobility in Denmark (Deding et al 2009). …”

Spatial mobility, inhabitants and places: conceptual and methodological challenges for geodemography

“…El principal tema estudiado ha sido la interacción e interferencia de la movilidad de los miembros de la pareja (Hanson, 1988;Hardill, 2002). El cambio residencial del hogar se puede interpretar como una opción sustitutiva o complementaria de la movilidad cotidiana de cada miembro (Fagnani, 1992;Green, 1997;Van Ommeren, 2000;Deding et al, 2005, y en España, Ruiz Becerril, 2003. Avanzar en esta línea, implica introducirse en la definición de los espacios de vida de los hogares, como se verá más adelante.…”