Unemployment Stocks and Flows in the Travel-to-Work Areas of the North-West Region

Abstract

This paper examines spatial variations in unemployment stocks and flows in the North-West region of Great Britain. It utilises information describing the monthly flow of persons through the unemployment register. Combining the stock data with the flow data, it is possible to infer the mean duration of unemployment so that the relative contribution of the inflow rate and the mean duration of unemployment in determining spatial variations in the unemployment rate can be investigated. Some travel-to-work areas are shown to have a low inflow rate and a high mean duration of unemployment, whereas other areas have the reverse. This suggests the existence of quite different types of unemployment problems in different areas. The policy implications of this finding are discussed.