Leave or Stay? Exploring High School Graduates’ Mobility: The Significance of the Labour Market Conditions and Family Migration Experiences

Many factors determine the propensity of young individuals to migrate, with the local labour market standing out as a crucial determinant due to far-reaching impact on the broader community. Equally significant are the migration experiences within families. The article seeks to assess the influence of family migration experiences on the decisions of high school graduates concerning their future place of residence within the framework of the local labour market situation. The study employed a comparative approach, examining samples of high school graduates residing in districts of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship characterized by varying unemployment rates. A diagnostic survey, complemented by statistical methods was employed for the research. Our findings reveal a substantial impact of family migration experiences on the intentions of young individuals regarding their future residence. Notably, a higher proportion of emigrants within the families of surveyed high school graduates correlates with an increased likelihood of expressing intentions to migrate externally. The interaction with the local labour market context reveals compelling insights. The research indicates that the influence of family migration networks is more pronounced among young people in areas with low unemployment rates compared to those in districts facing a more complex labour market situation. These results suggest that in the decision-making process concerning youth migration, social factors, particularly those manifesting in family migration networks, play a pivotal role alongside, if not surpassing, economic considerations, such as the local labour market conditions.