Asymmetric Globalization and native internal mobility. The case of the Italian Mezzogiorno

Recent studies and economic reports from Svimez and the Bank of Italy warn that the internal migration flows in Italy have recently begun to increase once more. Specifically, emigration from the Mezzogiorno to Central and Northern Italy represents the most substantial part of such flows. This short reflection links internal mobility to the process of international integration, which has evolved in different ways the North and the South of the country. The idea suggested in this article is that the intensification of internal migration can be associated with a double dynamic: the significant upwards convergence between Central-Northern Italy and the Mezzogiorno in education levels; and the progressive divergence between the two areas in their productive structures. As shown by the factor content of trade, such output divergence has been sustained by recent internationalization processes. KEYWORDS: regional development, internal migration, human capital, economic integration, trade and labour markets JEL CLASSIFICATION: R11, R23, J23, F15, F1