Explaining low international labour mobility: the role of networks, personality and perceived labour market opportunities

Abstract

Why is international labour mobility so low in high-income regions of the European Union? To shed light on this issue, we examine international labour migration intentions of the Dutch potential labour force. A key characteristic of intended (temporary) labour migration of the Dutch is that it occurs at a low level and is strongly age related. The low expected rate of migration is closely connected to (low) expectations about finding work abroad and the expectation that foreign work experience is not perceived to be of value to employers. In addition to these barriers to move abroad, it appears that the personality of potential migrants (nationalistic, risk averse) matters as well as the lack of social networks abroad. Keywords: labour mobility, migration, intentions