DEMOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES ON MIGRATION

This paper explores the effects of demographic change on migration through an examination of migration rates of different age groups and cohorts over time, and the effect on total migration flows of the ageing of regional populations. Research focused on the interrelationship between age composition change and migration is reviewed. Studies are classified into works that focus on the changing demographic potential of a region's population to generate migrants, those that assess how age-specific mobility rates change over time and those that examine the destination choices made by persons in different age groups. The human investment framework provides a powerful analytical device for analysing migration decision-making at different stages of the life course. Labour supply pressure is advanced as a significant demographic influence on labour mobility. Suggestions are made about future directions for migration research to take in order to gain a better understanding of the linkages between changing age composition and population redistribution. The need for a cohort perspective on migration analysis is stressed.