Geographic mobility is the movement of production sites and workers from one area to another, affecting population and economic growth. Immigration, migration, and net migration are used to measure this mobility, which is influenced by factors such as labor market strength and cost of living.
Geographic mobility occurs when the production of goods in one geographic area is moved to another geographic area. The production of goods can move from city and state and even to other countries depending on how easily resources can change places. As production sites move, workers move, causing the local population to increase or decrease. Demographic and economic reports measure this type of mobility by studying immigration, out migration and the migratory balance of an area, which are useful for determining the economic effects of population mobility.
The term geographic mobility refers to the reallocation of economic resources. It is influenced by numerous factors, such as workers fleeing weak labor markets for greater opportunities in stronger ones. The cost of living and house prices in a geographic area can impact the population, with homeowners selling expensive homes, then moving to an area where homes are less expensive. Mobility generally increases during times of recession and decreases when the economy is healthy, tends to follow unemployment rates, and occurs not only nationally, but on a global scale.
When measuring geographic mobility, experts commonly consider immigration numbers as a determining factor. Immigration refers to people moving from their native country to another country and settling there. An increase in migrants in a given geographical area can cause stable individuals to relocate, which can depress the wages of those currently working in that locality. As wages in a place decrease, the demand for housing increases, causing rents and house prices to rise.
Another measure of geographic mobility, migration, means that an individual moves from one community, region or country to live in another. Migration from large cities can have devastating effects on rural governments, public service systems and schools due to population growth not supported by infrastructure. When people leave a community, job shortages can occur, leaving businesses such as hospitals understaffed or causing businesses to go out of business due to loss of customers. Our migration can have immigration-like effects on local infrastructure, leading to collapse due to a loss of funds.
Net migration measures the geographic mobility by difference of immigrants and emigrants of an area over a period of time. Positive net migration means more people are entering a country, while negative net migration shows more people leaving a country. None of the measurements give a specific reason for the cause of immigration or emigration. This measurement is useful in determining the possible effects immigrants may have on a given geographic location.
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