Human capital and life satisfaction among circular migrants: an analysis of extended mobility in Europe

This article extends understandings of circular migration among young migrants (aged 16–35) by focusing on the two key concepts of human capital and life satisfaction. Drawing on a large-scale quan...

New Labor Migration Trends: Evidence from Latvia

Accession to the European Union and the subsequent free movement of labor in a more open labor market became a factor which promoted mobility among the residents of the EU's new member states. Latvia is one of the 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe which joined the EU on May 1, 2004. Migration in Latvia has become a topic of economic, political and social importance. The aim of this paper is to analyze the Latvian labor migration processes that have unfolded since the EU enlargement in 2004. Results from the survey showed that substantial numbers of residents have emigrated. In Latvia economic and temporary aspects of migration continue to dominate. Another important issue today is …

Overcoming the crisis : the changing profile and trajectories of Latvian migrants

The work was funded by the National Research Programme [grant number 5.2.4] and the Latvian Council of Sciences [grant number 514/2012]. Taking mobility between Latvia and Western Europe as an empirical lens, this analysis explores the complex relationship between spatial disparities in earning potential and migration. The very dramatic shifts in the economic and political context against which migration from Latvia has occurred over the period 2004-2012 make it an especially apposite focus of research investigating the link between mobility and labour market circumstances. As an analytical starting point, conventional economic theory broadly explains the movement of workers from lower to h…

The Ambiguity of Return Migration: Prolonged Crisis and Uncertainty in the Life Strategies of Young Romanian and Latvian Returnees

Who are the typical commuters in the post-socialist metropolis? The case of Riga, Latvia

Abstract There have been important changes in the geographical mobility of the populations of post-socialist countries since the 1990s. Drawing on an extensive sample survey—the Geographic Mobility of the Labour Force survey conducted by the University of Latvia in 2006—this paper, examines the demographic and socio-economic differences between commuters and stayers in the suburbs, as well as commuting time. The results of the study indicate that people who have suburbanised over the past decade are much more likely to commute than stayers. We show that commuters to Riga differ from non-commuters with regard to most demographic and socio-economic variables. For instance, the probability of …

Circularity Within the EU: The Return Intentions of Latvian Migrants

Recently, much attention has been paid in the literature to circular migration because of its perceived potential to reduce permanent migration and to promote development. This is probably a result of a perfect combination of interests benefiting not only sending and receiving countries, but also the migrants themselves (Vertovec 2007; Adepoju et al. 2010; Castles and Ozkul 2014). Circularity allows migrants to gain experience and acquire skills, and to apply them on returning to their countries of origin, thereby contributing to development (Cassarino 2004; de Haas 2010, 2012), transforming brain drain into brain gain, and at the same time contributing to their positive effects on labour m…

Socio-spatial differentiation in transition: a preliminary comparative analysis of post-soviet St Petersburg and Riga

Research into the socio-spatial dynamics in Central European cities is an important area of contemporary transition studies. Open issues in this domain range from defining a theoretical framework to data availability and methodological approaches. As to the former aspect, recent literature focuses on the hybrid nature of the post-socialist urban space, which underwent modernization in the conditions of globalization and economic liberalization; the earlier model of spatial development changed dramatically as a result. The multi-scalar and comparative approaches may shed new light on the complex patterns of urban socio-spatial differentiation and its post-Soviet dynamics. Growing regional so…

Work-life balance during the COVID-19 outbreak: the case of Latvia

This paper aims to shed light on work-life balance in Latvia during the state of emergency The COVID-19 outbreak has led many governments to introduce lockdowns While imposed restrictions may help to contain the spread of the virus, they may also result in substantial damage to population well-being The COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia demonstrates the extent and ways in which socio-demographics factors have determined different patterns of behaviour, attitudes, employment changes and harmonised work and life balance The study describes the chronological development of COVID-19 in the country It describes labour migration to and from Latvia before the COVID-19 outbreak It provides geographical f…

Delineation of the boundary of an urban agglomeration: evidence from Riga, Latvia

AbstractStatistical, morphological and functional approaches have long been used to delineate spatial boundaries of urban agglomerations. This research uses data from the Central Statistical Bureau and the State Revenue Service. The results indicate that morphological and functional approaches are essential when defining the agglomeration, however the outcomes are different. The most relevant consistency was observed in the territorial units adjoining the city of Riga due to the fact that they have a common labour market with Riga and share a strong functional linkage. However, the spatial extent based on the morphological approach confirms and highlights the effects of urban sprawl.

Intra-urban residential differentiation in the post-Soviet city: the case of Riga, Latvia

Cities in many Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have transformed rapidly since the political and socio-economic restructuring started in the early 1990s. Economi reforms, growing income inequalities, changes in housing system and selective residential mobility are resulting in increasing socio-spatial differentiation among urban neighbourhoods also in Riga. In addition, litt le is known about the ethnic dimension of intra-urban residential differentiation, despite the existence of sizeable minority populations. The focus on ethnicity is important, since Riga is the only capital city in the Baltic States where the ethnic majority is outnumbered by the non-Latvian minority. This p…

THE EXPECTED DEMOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES ON THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION SERVICES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOODS OF RIGA

This paper discusses the spatial extent of population change and provides new insights into the relationships between demographic characteristics and the provision of education services in urban neighbourhoods of Riga. Thus, our empirical evidence confirms that the provision of social infrastructure is fundamentally dependent on the nature of demographic processes. The aim of this paper is twofold: to explore the spatial extent of changes in the number of pre-school and school-aged children in Riga, and to assess how the demographic change of particular age cohorts are associated with the provision of educational establishments at the neighbourhood level. Using available statistics and base…