What drives migration moves to urban areas in Spain? Evidence from the Great Recession

Abstract

During the Great Recession international emigration skyrocketed while internal migration strongly declined. However, when the focus is on migration to the larger urban areas in Spain, an increase in population since the outbreak of the crisis is observed. This study determines the effect of labour market factors on migration flows to 45 Spanish functional urban areas for the recent recession period. The results indicate that wages and employment rates greatly influence migration to cities. The results are presented by considering both provinces and local labour market areas as flows’ origins. From the results, the strong role of labour markets in migration to cities can be confirmed.