Analyzing local labor markets through commuting (a study of Moscow municipalities)

Abstract

A method for analyzing local labor markets was proposed based on mobile operators’ data on commuting along with official statistics for Moscow municipalities. In general, the features of the main labor markets of urban municipalities tend to follow center-periphery differentiation. Equally important is the role of inherited jobs allocation and construction activities, which is well traced in the analysis of the municipalities of New Moscow. It is revealed that the presence of a developed metro network allows studying city as a space with a united labor market with a low share of population employed in their area of residence, even with accessibility factor essential for New Moscow. Classifying municipalities according to proposed methodology confirmed the center-periphery differentiation is clearly followed in the composition of their types: from the center to the outskirts of the city, the representation of the “working” districts decreases as the number of “sleeping” areas grows.