Escalators, Elevators and Travelators: The Occupational Mobility of Migrants to South-East England

Abstract

In a meritocratic society it is assumed that the chance of achieving occupational mobility (OM) is not strongly influenced by one's starting position in terms of class or ethnicity. This paper seeks to explain the drivers of the high levels of OM achieved by one ethnically defined group: the Scots. Educational attainment is shown to be particularly important. A second level of interest is the changing role of internal migrants to a global city in the face of increased international skilled immigration. We investigate whether there is any evidence that the OM of internal migrants is being hindered as a result. The evidence points instead to immobile local labour being more disadvantaged occupationally than mobile labour from peripheral regions of the state.

Keywords:

• Occupational Mobility
• Escalator Regions
• Global Cities
• Scottish Migration

Acknowledgements

Our research was sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council under grant RES-342-25-009 of the Scottish Demography programme, and made possible by the use of data from the ONS. The ONS Longitudinal Study Outputs Clearance Number is 30048A. We would like to warmly thank Chris Marshall and Jo Tomlinson, Celsius, ONS Longitudinal Study, and the Scottish Executive, Central Research Office, for their support in conducting this research. We are also very grateful for the helpful comments provided by three anonymous JEMS referees.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Allan Findlay

Allan Findlay is Professor of Geography at the University of Dundee

Colin Mason

Colin Mason is Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde

Donald Houston

Donald Houston is Lecturer in Geography at the University of Dundee

David McCollum

David McCollum is PhD Candidate in Geography at the University of Dundee

Richard Harrison

Richard Harrison is Professor and Head of the School of Management Studies, Queen's University, Belfast