Job search and unemployment duration: Implications for the spatial mismatch hypothesis

This paper analyzes the relationship between unemployment duration and the spatial distribution of employment. It builds on the spatial mismatch literature by analyzing the role of access in a job search framework. A unique measure of access is created using municipal level employment growth and a matrix of commuting times for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. Individuals with more access to employment are found to have shorter unemployment spells. The effect of access on unemployment duration is found to be sensitive to the specification of access. (C) 1997 Academic Press.