Overview

In the face of mounting policy concerns around regional inequalities, productivity weakness and the under-performance of the UK's second-tier cities, this project seeks to understand changing mobility patterns of high-skilled labour, how local actors make places attractive to such labour, and potential implications for Levelling Up. This is important because human capital (the knowledge, skills, experiences and attributes of the workforce) is "central to the economic and social well-being of people and places" (DLUHC, p.186). It is timely because the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated pre-existing trends in the take up of hybrid/remote/home working that may have the potential to alter the economic geography of the UK. We will use quantitative methods to map how the spatial residential mobility of high-skilled workers has evolved pre-, during and post-pandemic as well as identify the determinants and effects of these changing mobility patterns. We will conduct in­depth case studies of three major regional cities in the UK to identify mechanisms through which they can enhance attraction and retention of high value human capital. Hence, the research will provide insights into how high-skilled mobility patterns are shifting, and associated opportunities and challenges for Mission 1 of the Levelling Up White Paper regarding growth in employment and productivity in every area of the UK, with each region containing a globally competitive city.
This project aims to shed new light on how changes in working patterns affect the residential and other spatial mobility behaviour of high-skilled labour and the implications for economic growth trajectories and Levelling Up. The analysis will answer the following research questions:
1. What factors influence the residential (im)mobility of high-skilled workers?
2. What are the implications of WFH for spatial disparities and growth?
3. How can policy make places attractive and "sticky" to high-skilled labour?