ABSTRACT
Theoretically, a local labour market is a functional area in which the majority of jobs are filled by local residents and in which the majority of local residents in employment have their workplaces. In practice, a local labour market is difficult to delineate: different population subgroups and jobs are associated with variations in commuting patterns in accordance with individuals’ occupations, earnings, transport mode, hours of work, and so on. Hence the boundaries of local labour markets are imprecise and fuzzy, and in circumstances where commuting can substitute for migration this is increasingly the case (Green, 2004). In this chapter ‘rural labour markets’ are interpreted broadly as local labour markets in rural areas. Given the differential commuting flows by sub-group mentioned above, it is important to note that workplace-based and residence-based statistics for some rural areas may yield rather different pictures.
