Spatial Variation in Job Accessibility and Gender: An Intraregional Analysis using Hedonic House-Price Estimation

Abstract

Using data on single-family detached houses from a Norwegian region, in this paper I study the existence of gender differences in estimated labour-market accessibility between locations. Different specifications of a gravity-based job-accessibility measure are included in hedonic house-price models. I test for significant gender-related differences in the distance-deterrence parameters found in the labour-market accessibility indicator. The estimated distance-deterrence parameters are lower for women than for men. This difference is, however, not significant, given the data. The main gender-related differences relate to the spatial variation in job accessibility as measured here. The supply of relevant jobs is significantly higher for women in the administrative centres of municipalities in the area, and significantly higher for men outside these administrative centres. The attractive forces of the centres could be relevant as an explanation of differentiated gender-related commuting patterns.