The Influence of Education and Family Situation on the Moving Behavior of Individuals
Kooiman initially had no ambition to pursue a PhD until Jan Latten, former chief demographer at CBS, approached him for a research position at the statistics office. Kooiman was then a researcher at the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Prior to his SCP position, he contributed for a year to a CBS study on the quality of life in the Netherlands, a precursor to what is now the Monitor Broad Prosperity.
Kooiman sought answers to three questions during his doctoral research. What influence does education level have on the moving behavior of men and women? How often do men and women move for their own careers when single and when living with a partner? And what do couples do at the birth of their first child? The data showed that people moving from shrinking regions often do not return. This group of university-educated individuals moves to the Randstad during or after their studies, where they meet a partner who is also studying or has studied, Kooiman explains. When such a couple starts living together, they consider career opportunities for both. Combining two careers from one location works best in a large, diverse job market, which is mainly the Randstad in the Netherlands.
Greater Job and Education Opportunities
The development described is not new. Decades ago, people also moved to cities for better job and education opportunities. However, couples were more likely to leave the Randstad after a few years because there was often only one breadwinner, usually the man, says Kooiman. Now, there are more dual-income couples and partners with higher education. Especially those couples tend to stay in the Randstad. The changing position of women, who are now often more educated than men, has contributed to the shrinking of areas at the edges of the Netherlands, Kooiman states.
Recent Graduates
A notable finding of his research is the difference in moving behavior between recently graduated young men and women. Women move less often right after graduation due to career opportunities than men with similar education at the same life stage. Kooiman explains this trend by looking at the relationships of this group. Women are more likely to live with a partner at graduation than men, and they often live with an older man. There is an average three-year age difference between these couples. This is significant at that stage, Kooiman notes. It means the older partner often has already found a job in the city where the couple currently lives. Due to the stability of one partner, the other is less likely to move to another city for a new job. For women who are not living together at graduation, this does not apply. They move just as often as the men within that group.
Valuable Insight
Kooimans research is important for policy, society, and science, says CBS researcher and colleague Marjolijn Das. Das was the co-promoter of the research and wrote several articles on the subject with Kooiman. Firstly, because it provides in-depth insight into the background of regional population developments. This is crucial information for housing and labor market policy in cities and regions. The research also sheds light on the role of gender in the decision-making process regarding graduates moving to other regions. Despite women being generally more educated than men today, there is still a gender gap in the labor market where women work less and earn lower wages on average. This gap widens after children are born. But Kooiman shows that even right after graduation, a seed is sown for this phenomenon, Das explains. Thus, Kooimans dissertation provides valuable insight for policies aimed at addressing this gender gap.
