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…

Distinctive and comparative places: Alternative narratives of distinction within international student mobility

Moving beyond the ‘world-class’ institutional model of international student mobility, this paper examines alternative narratives of distinction relating to place of study. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with international students at universities in the UK, Austria and Latvia, we illustrate how students inside and outside mainstream reputable higher education institutions narrate and reconfigure markers of distinction to validate their international mobility and location of study, in part to compete with peers at other (more prestigious) institutions. We demonstrate the importance of lifestyle and experiential places within a global differentiated higher education landscape and argu…

THE GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN LATVIA’S HIGHER EDUCATION: PREROGATIVE OR ‘SECOND CHANCE’

This paper links geographies of in-flow international students to the higher education system in Latvia and destination country choice rationales. Latvia welcomes international students from diverse geographies. Besides specific sourcing countries like Germany and India, there are also considerably constant and stable flows from former Soviet countries. International students are both an essential source of revenue for higher education institutions and to some extent, replacement of decrease of local students. This study adopts a mixed-method approach and based on the analysis of official statistical data and survey data. The survey reveals views on decision-making process and motives of cu…

Latvia: A Centre-Oriented Country in Transition

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…

Rural restructuring and local/regional governance in the Baltic States after 1990

The aim of this paper is to discuss the restructuring of primary sector dominant rural areas in the Baltic States with a special focus on local governance and administrative structures. In the theoretical part, we elaborate on a principal transformation model for Baltic rural areas. Despite similar macro-economic processes in all three Baltic States, local and regional governance has developed differently and hypothetically, this has had a different impact on the economic development of regions. We have used statistics, legal documents, small case studies, observations and secondary sources of some more detailed studies for this paper.

RETURN MIGRATION TRENDS IN LATVIA: RE-ATTRACTING THE MAIN HUMAN RESOURCE FOR SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This study is devoted to the research of human resources as a main source of sustainable regional development in Latvia. It is focused on two key concepts of human capital and migration. The aim of the study is to explore return migration geographies by looking at young return migrants as a resource and preconditions for sustainable regional development essential to Latvia.Return migration to the regions of Latvia is examined by two main research questions. What are the most recent return migrant characteristics in Latvia? How does return migration of young Latvians translates into regional geographies of return migration?Drawing on most recent available statistical data we elaborate on the…

Rethinking Labour Migration Channels: the Experience of Latvia from EU Accession to Economic Recession

With the onset of recession in the UK in 2008, it was assumed that immigration from other European Union countries would decline. However, this has been shown to not be the case, with the volume of new arrivals from most of the East-Central European ‘Accession 8’ countries actually increasing. The focus of this paper is Latvia, a country that had a relatively buoyant economy following its accession to the European Union in 2004 but that now has one of the highest unemployment and emigration rates in Europe. Interviews carried out with labour providers, policymakers, and employers are used to examine the labour migration channels that reflect and structure labour migration flows from Latvia …

The role of recruitment agencies in imagining and producing the ‘good’ migrant

This paper focuses on representations of labour migrants and interrogates how such imaginaries shape migrant recruitment and employment regimes. The recruitment and employment of labour migrants inevitably involves a range of knowledge practices that affect who is recruited, from where and for what purposes. In particular, this paper seeks to advance understandings of how images of ‘bodily goodness’ are represented graphically and how perceptions of migrant workers influence the recruitment of workers to the UK from Latvia. The research described in this paper is based on interviews with recruitment agencies, employers and policy makers carried out in Latvia in 2011. The analysis results in…

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…

Geographicities of Migration. Adding a New Direction