This research discusses the problem of regional disparities in employment in Europe and surveys related areas with spatial economics.
Location and spatial economics raise possibilities that the formation and development of the Single European Market will agglomerate industries in Europe. On the other hand, regional disparities in Europe will encourage the mobility of labour to adjust the structural mismatch of employment.
The free movement of people is one main pillar of European integration, while integration process itself may restrains its movement. With respect to the regional labour market, the free movement of people can be at once centripetal and centrifugal forces of industrial location, and can either augment or reduce the mismatch of employment.
The authors focus on the attributions and characteristics of people and attempt to analyse the conflicting factors, thereby proposing a frame of reference for future research.