Graduate migration and regional familiarity

This paper provides insights into the spatial mobility patterns of young graduates in the Netherlands. Both home-to-HEI (higher education institution) as well as HEI-to-work mobility results in net flows towards the central economic region of the Netherlands. However, many graduates move within the larger central and peripheral regions and these flows are focused on cities. There is a strong regional component to graduate mobility as origins and destinations tend to be relatively close to the chosen HEI. Flows seem to be influenced by regional familiarity, with relatively many graduates moving back to familiar home regions. Often, a city's young graduate labour force and graduate residents have studied at a local HEI. Cities close to the economic core areas benefit from outflows of graduates from the largest employment centres.