Further Widening or Bridging the Gap? A Cross-Regional Study of Unemployment across the EU Amid Economic Crisis

摘要

The 2008 global economic crisis led to a sharp increase in unemployment with an estimated 210 million people being unemployed worldwide by 2010. This study analyzes the spatio-temporal distribution of unemployment in the European Union (EU) at a cross-regional level between 2008 and 2013 to identify if spatio-temporal patterns of unemployment exist, and if the European regions have suffered similarly during the study period. Various local spatial autocorrelation techniques are applied and results show that unemployment is highly polarized across the EU regions. Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece are experiencing high rates of unemployment forming clusters in space and time. By contrast, Germany, Austria, and nearby regions are more resilient to the economic crisis strains thus creating spatial clusters of low rates of unemployment. Spatial autocorrelation increased considerably in 2013 compared to 2008, indicating further polarization of unemployment and a widening gap between the south and the central-north, showcasing that the severe austerity measures imposed in the beginning of the crisis on some countries did not have any positive effect on unemployment mitigation. The paper also discusses interesting cross-regional patterns to assist policymakers and planners to better understand how high rates of unemployment are spreading geographically and thus take preventive measures to alleviate the implications of the phenomenon. The proposed analysis delves deeper into comprehending geographies of change, and related findings can support spatial planning for achieving society’s sustainability.