Spatial Segmentation of the Intra-Metropolitan Local Labor Markets : A Theroetical Review

Intra-metropolitan spatial segmentation of the labor marker requires barriers of mobility on both supply and demand side of the local labor marker. The phenomena of spatial segmentation of the labor market are particularly applied to the secondary workers rather than to the primary workers. Supply side barriers include the costs of obtaining job information regarding jobs outside of the immediate area, commuting costs, and barriers to residential mobility. Demand side barriers include site-specific technology and product demand, and discrimination. In this paper, I discuss these barriers and examine their implications for differences in segmentation by demographic and skill groups at the intra-metropolitan scale. In particular, I apply a job search model to examine supply side barriers such as information and commuting costs, and an implicit contract model to explain demand side barriers such as dual/internal labor market and firms' (re) location strategies.