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Miguel González-Leonardo, Joaquín Recaño, Antonio López-Gay

Selective migration and regional accumulation of qualified human capital in Spain

During the first years of the 21st century, medium and long distance migration of the Spanish born-population has increased, mainly due to rise in mobility of the highly educated. Migration of Spanish qualified young adults to other countries has occupied a preferential position in the academic debate, but little attention has been paid to interregional migration flows by educational attainment, which are currently greater than international out-migration. This research, conducted using data from the 2001 and 2011 population censuses, identifies differentiated migratory dynamics: the university graduates born in the inland and Cantabrian regions are more likely to migrate to the richest autonomous communities, while the population without a university degree shows similar out-migration-rates across time. On the other hand, Madrid increases its capacity to attract the highly educated individuals and displaces the less qualified population towards the north of Castile-La Mancha.

Keywords: interregional migration; educational attainment; youth labor mobility; sociodemographic and territorial factors

Check other articles from the issue Issue 47 – Summer 2020 or from other issues.

To cite this article

González-Leonardo, M. ; Recaño, J. ; López-Gay, A. (2020). Selectividad migratoria y acumulación regional del capital humano cualificado en España. Investigaciones Regionales - Journal of Regional Research, 47, 113-133.