Full Citation

Title: Going Nowhere Fast: Urban Mobility and Employment Outcomes

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: The spatial isolation of workers from firms is frequently considered as a cause of localized unemployment. Increasing the capacity and efficiency of urban transportation systems is a habitually considered solution to worker isolation. This paper will quantify metropolitan level mobility with respect to home-work commuting. Commuter mobility in the US is found to vary substantially across metros in both levels and trends during the 2005-2014 study period. The impact of mobility on locational access is shown to be theoretically ambiguous due to a dispersion effect. Increased commuter mobility has proceeded contemporaneously with increased metropolitan employment dispersion. An instrumental variable method will exploit random variation in the political process governing transportation infrastructure funding. Results provide causal evidence that increased commuter mobility degrades employment outcomes, particularly for black residents and youth. Findings are consistent with increased commuter mobility exacerbating spatial mismatch through employment sprawl.

Url: http://www.justintyndall.com/uploads/2/8/5/5/28559839/tyndall_gnf.pdf

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Tyndall, Justin

Publisher: University of British Columbia

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other

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