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Search Theory and Commuting Behavior

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  • Jan Rouwendal

    (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Abstract

In this paper I argue that search theory is a useful addition to the way economists and geographers have approached the study of commuting behavior. This is illustrated by showing that introduction of a spatial element into the standard model of job search leads to the prediction of critical isochrones. Moreover, in the context of an urban economy with decentralized employment the spatial search model predicts excess commuting. Search theory also suggests that regression towards the mean may play a confusing role in data describing the development of commutes over time, such as has been used in recent empirical work. Finally, the paper develops a simple spatial equilibrium search model in which employers set their wages optimally and searchers determine their reservation wages optimally in mutually consistent ways. The spatial element is crucial for the existence of such an equilibrium in which reservation wages of all searchers and wages set by all employers are identical.

Suggested Citation

  • Jan Rouwendal, 2004. "Search Theory and Commuting Behavior," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-017/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20040017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jan Rouwendal & Arno van der Vlist, 2005. "A Dynamic Model of Commutes," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(12), pages 2209-2232, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lorenz, Olga & Goerke, Laszlo, 2015. "Commuting and Sickness Absence," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113173, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Jennifer Roberts & Karl Taylor, 2017. "Intra-household commuting choices and local labour markets," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 69(3), pages 734-757.
    3. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal, J. & Molina, Jose Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2018. "The commuting behavior of workers in the United States: Differences between the employed and the self-employed," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 19-29.
    4. Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2015. "Excess Commuting in the US: Differences between the Self-Employed and Employees," IZA Discussion Papers 9425, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Stefan P.T. Groot & Henri L.F. de Groot & Paolo Veneri, 2012. "The Educational Bias in Commuting Patterns: Micro-Evidence for the Netherlands," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 12-080/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Dario Diodato & Anet Weterings, 2012. "The Resilience of Dutch Regions to Economic Shocks. Measuring the relevance of interactions among firms and workers," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1215, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Aug 2012.
    7. Mark W. Horner & Bernadette M. Marion, 2009. "A Spatial Dissimilarity-based Index of the Jobs—Housing Balance: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Tests," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 46(3), pages 499-517, March.
    8. Bayart, Caroline & Bonnel, Patrick & Havet, Nathalie, 2018. "Daily (im)mobility behaviours in France: An application of hurdle models," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 456-467.
    9. Karlström, Anders & Isacsson, Gunnar, 2009. "Is sick absence related to commuting travel time? - Swedish Evidence Based on the Generalized Propensity Score Estimator," Working Papers 2010:3, Swedish National Road & Transport Research Institute (VTI).
    10. Malak Kandoussi, 2023. "A New Norm? Exploring the Shift to Working From Home in the Post-Pandemic Labor Market," Documents de recherche 23-09, Centre d'Études des Politiques Économiques (EPEE), Université d'Evry Val d'Essonne.
    11. Sandow, Erika & Westin, Kerstin, 2010. "The persevering commuter - Duration of long-distance commuting," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(6), pages 433-445, July.
    12. Roberts, Jennifer & Hodgson, Robert & Dolan, Paul, 2011. "“It's driving her mad”: Gender differences in the effects of commuting on psychological health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 1064-1076.
    13. Jacob, Nikita & Munford, Luke & Rice, Nigel & Roberts, Jennifer, 2019. "The disutility of commuting? The effect of gender and local labor markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 264-275.
    14. Sergii TROSHCHENKOV, 2016. "Return to Commuting Distance in Sweden," Departmental Working Papers 2016-08, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    15. Julia Ingenfeld & Tobias Wolbring & Herbert Bless, 2019. "Commuting and Life Satisfaction Revisited: Evidence on a Non-linear Relationship," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(8), pages 2677-2709, December.
    16. Jaewon Lim & Jae Hong Kim, 2019. "Joint Determination of Residential Relocation and Commuting: A Forecasting Experiment for Sustainable Land Use and Transportation Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, January.
    17. Gunther Maier, 2009. "Spatial prices, search behavior and location," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(1), pages 27-48, March.
    18. Irene Casas & Mei‐Po Kwan, 2007. "The Impact of Real‐Time Information on Choices During the Commute Trip: Evidence from a Travel Simulator," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 523-543, December.
    19. Belloc, Ignacio, 2021. "El tiempo de desplazamiento al lugar de trabajo en el Reino Unido: Diferencias entre asalariados y autoempleados [Commuting time in the United Kingdom: Differences between wage-earners and self-emp," MPRA Paper 108260, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Félix Pillet & M. Carmen Cañizares & A. Raúl Ruiz & Héctor Martínez & Julio Plaza & Jesús F. Santos, 2014. "Applying the European Spatial Development Perspective in Low-density Regions: A Methodology Based on Mobility and Labour Market Structure," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(3), pages 577-595, February.
    21. Mette Deding & Trine Filges & Jos Van Ommeren, 2009. "Spatial Mobility And Commuting: The Case Of Two‐Earner Households," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 113-147, February.
    22. Roberto Patuelli & Aura Reggiani & Sean Gorman & Peter Nijkamp & Franz-Josef Bade, 2007. "Network Analysis of Commuting Flows: A Comparative Static Approach to German Data," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 315-331, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    commuting; search theory; local labor markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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