Population mobility has implications ranging from administrative changes in government and impacts on local economic growth to housing markets and demand for regional services.
National geographic mobility data is available from census and public government records in the United States, the European Union, China and many other countries.
Additional mobility factors include attending college, changes in marital status, retirement, or health-related moves.
[4] Several scholarly surveys have been conducted to measure geographic mobility in China, but no single comprehensive census is available.
Since the year 2000 the National Bureau of Statistics of China has added migrant worker estimates to their annual household survey.
[5] The Chinese Development Research Center of the State Council also undertook a study in 2010 characterizing the scope of migration for work and relevant statistics of that population.
The survey measured demographics such as age, education level, job type, income, expenses, housing, and leisure activities.
[7] The prospect of gainful employment in another region leads to movement to capitalize on new opportunities and resources unavailable in the original community.
Perceptions, gaps in prospective incomes, availability of accurate information, and geographic distance all play a part in the decision to migrate.
[8] Studies have shown that unemployment rates statistically correlate to measured migrations in the EU (a relatively mobile society).
[9] Socialized unemployment insurance programs help to increase individual liquidity and lessen the burden of search costs and movement risk.
Concerns such as climate, the strength of regional housing markets, cultural comfort, family, and local social capital all play into the decision to move or not.
[12] Media driven self-awareness and highly individualistic symbolism exported from the western world have allowed people to imagine themselves living completely different lifestyles.
[12] Western media glamorizes the image of the self-sufficient youth, showing examples of both men and women who lead strong, individualistic, empowered lifestyles.
Globalization has destabilized previously immutable social institutions, shifting cultural value away from old traditions to new more individualistic and market friendly ideas.
Large numbers of women in South Korea, Japan, and China are taking advantage of newly available travel opportunities: experiencing life overseas and touring or studying.
Support from the community can increase the probability of relocation—it has been shown that the chances of migration in India improve when groups of houses from the same sub-caste all decide to move together.
Public health studies measured higher geographic mobility among female sex workers who: drank, had experienced violence, had worked for more than four years, and had a regular non-paying partner than those who did not.
Brain drain and labor resource diminishment make it more difficult for troubled regions to recover after an economic stumble.
[4] Additional people migrating into a region can also place extra stress on existing social infrastructure for services like healthcare, welfare, and unemployment.
[8] Remittances play a large role in sustaining the economies of many developing nations, for example bringing over US$1bn into the Philippines every month and eclipsing the entire tourism profit of Morocco.
[16] With heightened self-awareness, educated women hope to grasp opportunities from moving, leading to increased female individualization and empowerment.
Domestic violence can be sparked by power struggles when newly empowered women regain some control traditionally held by men.
Women often seek work closer to home compared to men, taking jobs in a more geographically confined area and relying more on non-automobile transportation.
[19] Geographic isolation from previous relationships increases personal dependence on the nuclear family unit and can lead to power unbalances within the household.
[22] Coping strategies push them to put off long-term commitments, decreasing the formation of families and lowering birth rates.
[4] Residents in communities with a large percentage of highly mobile occupants also worry about long term social cohesion.
[23] Increasing long range personal mobility tends to lead to geographic expansion of an individual's support network.