Moving across Borders: Who is Willing to Migrate or to Commute?

Abstract

Huber P. and Nowotny K. Moving across borders: who is willing to migrate or commute?, Regional Studies . The willingness to commute and migrate across borders is analysed by focusing on the differences in the effects of individual characteristics on migration and commuting propensities. By applying a multinomial probit regression using individual-level survey data on migration and commuting intentions, considerable differences are found between potential cross-border commuters and migrants. Variables measuring the indirect costs of mobility have a smaller impact and gender differences as well as deprivation have a larger impact on the willingness to commute than on the willingness to migrate across borders. In addition, there is evidence of non-linearities in the effects of various variables.