The regional migration of young adults in England and Wales (2002–2008): a ‘conveyor-belt’ of population redistribution?

Abstract

This paper calls for a more encompassing perspective of the regional migration patterns of young adults (16–24), extending studies of labour-motivated graduate migration. It is argued the long-distance movement(s) of young adults per se is a leading constituent of demographic and population changes in society; emphasising the connections between youthful stages of the lifecourse and high levels of population mobility that include students, graduates and other subgroups. Using revised National Health Service Central Record data to interrogate regional migration flows in England and Wales (2002–2008), our descriptive analyses reveal three key findings. First, it is shown that young adults are increasing as a proportion of regional migrants; reaffirming academic representations of young adults as a highly mobile age group. Second, it is identified that migration flows decreased for age groups between 2002 and 2008, with the notable exception of 16–24-year-olds. This suggests that young adults do not adhere to the increasing trend of non-migration, as individuals and households increasingly ‘stay-put’ due to detrimental socio-economic conditions (Cooke, T. J. 2011. “It is not Just the Economy: Declining Migration and the Rise of Secular Rootedness.” Population, Space and Place 17: 193–203). Third, major regional differences between the migration flows of 16–24-year-olds are observed, which beg questions about the escalator regions. The findings of the paper are pertinent to ongoing debates of population change, particularly given the reconfiguration of national policies (e.g. funding of higher education and housing benefit) is leading to new expressions of young adult migration.