GOLDEN GROWTH
Researchers have been trying to identify the impediments to mobility in economic areas where labor is legally free to move. Language and cultural barriers obviously play a role (OECD 2007). But putting language aside, even with a legal right to work in every member state, EU citizens face implicit but powerful deterrents created by differences in rules that determine social insurance coverage, the accrual of occupational pension rights, entitlements to social housing and other forms of assistance, and the recognition of their professional qualifications and previous work experience. Perhaps reflecting the current tough times, as in Europe, local chambers of commerce and professional guilds of U.S. trade associations are starting to erect barriers—even to people offering their services online—in order to restrict movement and thus competition. This strict “rule of license” is an obstacle to movement and faster labor market adjustment. These impediments may be more serious for prime-aged workers than for the young or the retired. As the median age of Europeans increases from 40 years today to nearly 50 by 2050, the mobility imperative will become more pressing.
What keeps Europeans at home Among the strongest deterrents to greater mobility in Europe are those created by failures in housing markets (figure 6.32). In many European countries, housing is a good that is still exchanged informally on unregulated or poorly regulated markets (Janiak and Wasmer 2008). Rental markets are shallow, rent is expensive, and supply is limited by zoning restrictions. These problems constrain people’s mobility at both their origin and destination: moving can be a costly prospect, made more so by difficulties selling or renting one’s house. Bottlenecks in the housing market are a serious impediment to mobility. Homeowners in Europe are more sluggish to move in response to changing labor market conditions than people who rent their homes (Hughes and McCormick 1985 and 1987; Henley 1998; Gardner, Pierre, and Oswald 2001). The relatively high unemployment rates in some European countries can be explained in part by a large portion of people who are owner-occupiers (Haavio
Figure 6.32: Language, housing, and health care are the main impediments to mobility (factors that deter people from moving to another EU country [percent])
Note: Figures are for respondents from the EU25 (EU27 excluding Bulgaria and Romania) who do not intend to move. Source: Karppinen, Fernandez, and Krieger 2006.
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