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In this study we investigate how differential institutions, and their observance within regional labor markets, impact potential earnings realization. We investigate institutional linkages to labor market outcomes by means of cross-nation comparisons between the United States and the Netherlands. In this regard, better job-matching (information) programs, higher relative unemployment benefits and minimum wages, and a greater prevalence of both trade unionism and collective bargaining likely work to the favor of Dutch workers, and in turn augment their reservation wages during job search. The predictable outcome of higher earnings realization among Dutch workers is tested econometrically by frontier estimation.

The papers in this special issue focus on modelling knowledge and innovation spillovers with an emphasis on the context of China. The first paper decomposes the relative importance of economic growth into knowledge spillovers and technical diffusion, using cross-country data on a worldwide scale, as well as provincial data at the regional scale of China. The second paper investigates whether the economic and financial performances of reformed state-owned enterprises are affected by the presence of non-state-owned enterprises from related industries. The final paper examines how the spatial spillovers from inward and outward foreign direct investment affect the innovation activities of domestic firms in China's Shandong province. This special issue contributes to a better understanding of the channels for transferring knowledge and innovation spillovers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Spatial Economic Analysis is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents a framework which applies life course approach to high-skilled migration. By using the lens of the life course, migration behaviour is viewed not only in response to labour market triggers, but also in relation to other life domains such as education, employment and household. The data presented in this article are drawn from 22 in-depth interviews and visualisations of parallel careers. The results illustrate how highly skilled Indian migrants in the Netherlands shape their life course and highlight the parallel careers that structure their migration trajectories. Parents, spouse and social networks inform the life course decisions of these migrants through the linked lives mechanism to a large extent. Our findings challenge the notion of ‘trailing wives’ and suggest that, despite of gender differences in the life course patterns, the joining spouses play an active role in the family migration decisions of the highly skilled. Life course approach enables us to understand the migration process through the lives of the highly skilled and reveals how—the often culturally conditioned—life course interdependencies frame their migration decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines to what extent, and for whom, different geographical characteristics affect the levels of local social engagement, satisfaction, and embeddedness in the Netherlands. We employ a uniquely detailed dataset of individuals in Dutch neighbourhoods and municipalities, which is examined using a multilevel hierarchical model with spatial interaction effects. The analysis shows that living in a neighbourhood with a high ethnic concentration and low economic development has negative consequences for actual engagement, satisfaction, and embeddedness. However, this effect is more relevant for natives than for immigrants (ie, Turks, Moroccans, Surinamese, and Antilleans). In addition, we4 find no evidence that the relationship between locality and engagement, satisfaction, and embeddedness varies between first-generation and second-generation immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT Many welfare reforms undertaken in Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries are directed toward enhancing efficiency in the administration and implementation of social security. In this perspective, reforms in The Netherlands are an example of decentralization through budgeting financial means to municipalities. By using data envelopment analysis, we assess the effect of the introduction of the new Work and Social Assistance Act (WSA) in 2004 on cost efficiency. By applying a stochastic frontier analysis, we assess the impact of municipal policy strategies on cost inefficiency for the period 2005-2007. We find a clear positive effect of the WSA in 2004 on cost efficiency. Pursuing a strategy of activation raised efficiency significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable attention in the literature has been devoted to spatial mobility as a mechanism in the transition from study to work. In this paper, the relationships between migration and both regional economic circumstances and individual characteristics are investigated using a micro-dataset on Dutch college and university graduates. Over the last decade, some Dutch regions have retained increasingly higher proportions of college graduates. We find that the presence of a large labour market is the most important structural economic determinant for these higher retention rates. Cyclical determinants appear to affect university graduate migration more than college graduate migration. Une analyse des tendances dans la mobilite spatiale de diplomes de l'education superieure aux Pays-Bas Reume Differentes publications se sont consacrees dans une grande mesure a la mobilite spatiale, en tant que mecanisme pour la transition de l'etude a la pratique. Dans la presente communication, on se penche sur les rapports entre d'une part la migration, d'autre part des circonstances economiques regionales ainsi que des caracteristiques individuelles, en appliquant un micro fichier sur des diplomes de colleges et universites des Pays-Bas. Au cours des dix dernieres annees, certaines regions des Pays-Bas ont retenu une proportion toujours plus elevee de diplomes de colleges. Nous avons etabli que la presence d'un important marche du travail est l'element economique structurel le plus determinant pour justifier ces taux de retention eleves. Des determinants cycliques semblent affecter la migration de titulaires de diplomes universitaires plus qu'ils n'affectent la migration de diplomes de colleges. Analisis de las tendencias de movilidad espacial de los egresados del sistema holandes de educacion superior Resumen En las publicaciones especializadas se ha tratado con mucha atencion la movilidad espacial como un mecanismo de la transicion del estudio al trabajo. En esta investigacion se analiza la relacion entre la migracion, las circunstancias economicas regionales y las caracteristicas individuales, utilizando un micro conjunto de datos de egresados de universidades y colegios holandeses. Durante la ultima decada, algunas regiones de Holanda mantienen cuotas cada vez mas altas de egresados de colegios. Creemos que la presencia de un mercado laboral amplio es el determinante economico estructural mas importante para estos indices de retencion mayores. Parece que los determinantes ciclicos afectan en mayor medida la migracion de egresados universitarios que la migracion de egresados de colegios. [image omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses regional differences in labor productivity in the Netherlands. GDP per hour worked; Effect of part-time work and commuting percentage point; Disposable income per capita percentage of the Netherlands.

The article introduces a series of articles on the links between firm dynamics and spatial dynamics. It shows the different aspects of the relationship. The papers show the multi- and interdisciplinary nature of the topic of firm demography. The range of topics covered includes entrepreneurial studies, firm start-ups, firm exits and business relocations. Although all the papers deal with spatial variation in terms in the sense of differences between regions or countries, some deal explicitly with the spatial dimension of firm geography in the sense of distance sensitivity. Regional growth and agglomeration economies figure importantly in the papers as well, as the outcome of firm dynamics at the micro level. The relatively large number of papers dealing with new firm formation reflects the focus on the demographic component in the field of firm geography in general.

Investigates how differential institutions and their observance within regional labor markets, impact potential earnings realization. Institutional linkages to labor market outcomes; Cross-nation comparisons between the United States and the Netherlands; Econometrical test of the predictable outcome of higher earnings realization among Dutch workers.

Analyzes the wage effects of unemployment duration and frequency for different regional labor market situations in The Netherlands using a simultaneous equations approach. Factors that affect wage level; Derivation of the wage equation; Econometric problems.

Van Dijk J. and Folmer H. (1985) Entry of the unemployed into employment: theory, methodology and Dutch experience, Reg. Studies 19, 243–256. This study examines the entry probabilities of the unemployed into the employed labour force. The personal characteristics (age, work experience, education and family status) and the regional characteristics (regional unemployment and average regional income) are theoretically derived as the determinants of the entry probabilities. The theoretical model is empirically tested with data from the Dutch Labour Force Survey 1979 by means of maximum likelihood logit analysis. The results closely conform to the theoretical expectations. On the basis of the analysis some conclusions for labour market policy are formulated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the aims of this paper is to investigate the relative importance of these two groups of variables. This is not only interesting from a scientific point of view, but has also some important policy implications. If the spell length is primarily determined by personal characteristics, schooling and (re-)training might be appropriate policy measures. If the spell length is mainly influenced by the regional demand for labour however, migration and demand stimulating policies would be more adequate. (In the sequel policies aimed at improving the personal labour market characteristics (such as schooling and (re-)training) and regional policies (such as migration and demand policies) will simultaneously be denoted as 'labour market policy' if there is no need to distinguish between both kinds of policies).
The organization of the remainder of this paper is as follows. In Section II some micro approaches to the variation in the duration of spells of unemployment are briefly described. In particular, the micro approach applied in the present paper is justified. In Section III the data base is presented and the conceptual model for the problem at hand (i.e. the a priori expected differences in personal and regional labour market characteristics which lead to variation in unemployment duration) is outlined. The econometric method is briefly described in Section IV. The main results of the Dutch case study are presented in Section V. The paper ends with a concluding section where some policy recommendations are formulated.
The purpose of this study is to identify the personal and regional characteristics of unemployed whose spell of unemployment is likely to exceed a critical length of 12 months. This spell length is chosen because for policy purposes in The Netherlands long-term unemployed are generally defined as unemployed with spell lengths exceeding 12 months (see, for instance, Annual Labour Market Report, 1987, SOZAWE, 1987, p. 49). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides information about the publication of the journal "Papers in Regional Science."

The article offers information on some of the changes in "Papers in Regional Science (PiRS), the official publication of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI). It chronicles the history of the journal from the 1950s to its growth as a professional, visible and high-quality journal. It also discusses some of the changes in the journal's editorial team.

The author reflects on the impact of studies published in "Papers in Regional Science" on regional science. According to the author, the impact factor increased to 1.265 for 2008 which reflects that articles in the journal were being used in science. The author also talked about the special issue of the journal, which includes reports about economic systems, land use and economic geography.

An introduction to this issue of "Papers in Regional Science" is presented.

In this article, the author discusses the efforts made by the editorial team of "Papers in Regional Science" to improve the journal. He says that the use of Internet based online submission and administration system for manuscript handling and management of the review process is more efficient than the paper trail based system. The author claims that the publication's page size was increased so that papers will be published within one year of acceptance. He cites submissions as one of the factors that enhance the reputation of the journal.

Improving the labor market position of low-educated workers is one of the most important goals of regional labor market policy. Underqualifícation, meaning holding a job at a higher level than expected based on one's formal education, can be--under certain conditions--a favorable position from both an individual and a policy perspective. In this study we used repeated cross-sections of data about Dutch workers from 1996 to 2006 to relate the chances of underqualifícation to personal, firm, and labor market characteristics. Briefly, we found that, for low-educated workers, firm and personal characteristics are more important than regional characteristics in explaining underqualifícation. Higher regional unemployment rates lower the chances of being underqualified. Working in smaller firms or firms with many high-skilled jobs has a strong positive effect on the chances of attaining higher level jobs, while working in firms with many highly educated workers lowers these chances. Women and nonnatives are less often underqualified, whereas older workers are more often underqualified. Gaining more insight into the determinants of underqualifícation is important for developing more effective policy measures that aim to improve the labor market position of the most vulnerable groups in the labor market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do the local labour market policies of municipalities matter? The scientific debate on such policies mainly concentrates on (I) the effectiveness of active labour market policies and programmes in terms of improving the labour market chances of jobless workers, and (2) the organization of labour market policy in terms of governance, management, and coordination or cooperation with neighbouring municipalities, educational institutes, etc. In this paper we explore both dimensions. We start by describing recent reforms in the Netherlands in which the financial responsibility for social assistance was decentralized to 443 municipalities. The effects of the labour market strategies of municipalities on social assistance inflow and outflow are then identified, measured, and compared in an empirical analysis. We find positive effects of control, activation, employment creation, and coordination strategies on social assistance inflow and outflow. This suggests that the activities of municipalities do matter, although the effects are small and differ across labour market strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]