Labor migration in the context of sustainable regional development

Purpose: Labor migration plays a crucial role in shaping regional economies and social structures, particularly in the context of sustainable development. Understanding the relationship between migration flows and regional sustainability is essential for addressing economic disparities, labor market dynamics, and environmental concerns. This paper examines how labor migration is explored in academic research within the framework of sustainable regional development. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs bibliometric analysis to examine labor migration research within the framework of sustainable regional development. The analysis is based on data retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, without time restriction. A structured literature review was conducted, and quantitative results were visualized using bibliometric maps generated in VOSviewer. This approach enables the identification of key connections between labor migration and sustainable regional development research. Findings: The study highlights the evolving research trends in labor migration and sustainable regional development. It identifies the most recent and influential areas explored by the academic community, shedding light on the dominant themes and gaps in the literature. Originality/value: The article contributes to the understanding of how labor migration is studied in relation to sustainable regional development, offering a comprehensive bibliometric overview. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners interested in migration policies and regional sustainability strategies. Keywords: sustainable development, labor migration, regional development, economic integration. Category of the paper: Literature review.