Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Migration of the creative class: evidence from Sweden

Kalsø Hansen, Høgni LU and Niedomysl, Thomas LU (2009) In Journal of Economic Geography 9(2). p.191-206
Abstract
A central element in contemporary regional development strategies is the ability for regions to attract and retain talented people. The underlying argument is that by attracting talented people, regions are better geared to meet the demand of competences of the knowledge economy and become more competitive. This article focuses on the migration of the creative class in Sweden. Three questions, central to recent theoretical claims but until now overlooked, are addressed: (i) Do members of the creative class move more often compared to other migrant groups (ii) Are they more selective in their destination choices, favouring regions with a favourable people climate (iii) Do their reasons for migration differ from those of other migrant groups... (More)
A central element in contemporary regional development strategies is the ability for regions to attract and retain talented people. The underlying argument is that by attracting talented people, regions are better geared to meet the demand of competences of the knowledge economy and become more competitive. This article focuses on the migration of the creative class in Sweden. Three questions, central to recent theoretical claims but until now overlooked, are addressed: (i) Do members of the creative class move more often compared to other migrant groups (ii) Are they more selective in their destination choices, favouring regions with a favourable people climate (iii) Do their reasons for migration differ from those of other migrant groups Employing unique Swedish survey and register data, the results show that the migration rates of the creative class are only marginally higher than for other groups. The results, moreover, show that most migration activities for the creative class take place just after finishing university and that the creative class people move for jobs rather than place. The presented empirical findings of the article do not support central theoretical arguments about the mobility of the creative class. In light of these findings, the article concludes with discussing why the creative class theory has become so influential despite the lack of empirical evidence. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
O15, O18, R11, J24, regional development, migration, creative class, human capital
in
Journal of Economic Geography
volume
9
issue
2
pages
191 - 206
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000263420600004
  • scopus:60549085955
ISSN
1468-2702
DOI
10.1093/jeg/lbn046
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e2f3f1b8-9656-49ee-b2ad-953ca765fada (old id 1372159)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:10:39
date last changed
2022-04-21 03:31:25
@article{e2f3f1b8-9656-49ee-b2ad-953ca765fada,
  abstract     = {{A central element in contemporary regional development strategies is the ability for regions to attract and retain talented people. The underlying argument is that by attracting talented people, regions are better geared to meet the demand of competences of the knowledge economy and become more competitive. This article focuses on the migration of the creative class in Sweden. Three questions, central to recent theoretical claims but until now overlooked, are addressed: (i) Do members of the creative class move more often compared to other migrant groups (ii) Are they more selective in their destination choices, favouring regions with a favourable people climate (iii) Do their reasons for migration differ from those of other migrant groups Employing unique Swedish survey and register data, the results show that the migration rates of the creative class are only marginally higher than for other groups. The results, moreover, show that most migration activities for the creative class take place just after finishing university and that the creative class people move for jobs rather than place. The presented empirical findings of the article do not support central theoretical arguments about the mobility of the creative class. In light of these findings, the article concludes with discussing why the creative class theory has become so influential despite the lack of empirical evidence.}},
  author       = {{Kalsø Hansen, Høgni and Niedomysl, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{1468-2702}},
  keywords     = {{O15; O18; R11; J24; regional development; migration; creative class; human capital}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{191--206}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Economic Geography}},
  title        = {{Migration of the creative class: evidence from Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbn046}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/jeg/lbn046}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}