Spatial labour markets and resilience of cities and regions: a critical review

ABSTRACT

This study provides a comprehensive overview and critical assessment of the major scientific literature about labour market developments and resilience in a spatial context. This review paper – an introduction to the Regional Studies special issue on ‘The Tidal Movements of Spatial Labour Markets: Perturbation and Resilience’ – examines the effects of sudden shocks on the labour markets’ resilience capacity at the city or region level. The paper contributes to the existing literature in particular by generating a typology of shocks at different geographical scales, which may provide an operational framework for cities and regions to be able to prepare in advance for unforeseen shocks. The paper concludes with a strategic analysis of resilience policies and policy lessons on regional labour markets. This overview paper positions the scope and innovations in this special issue in a broader employment resilience context.

Keywords:

• spatial labour markets
• cities
• regions
• shocks
• employment
• resilience capacity

JEL:

• C01
• J21
• J60

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Gabriela Carmen Pascariu and Karima Kourtit acknowledge the grant from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS – UEFISCDI [project number PN-III-P4-PCE-2021-1878]: Institutions, Digitalization and Regional Development in the European Union, within PNCDI III. Karima Kourtit also acknowledges a grant from the Axel och Margaret Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse, Sweden; and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme [grant agreement number 101004627].