AccessLab: Drawing Conclusions and Deriving Policy Implications

This analysis of regional labour market disparities in new member states and candidate countries summarises the results of the AccessLab project and presents some data. Large and persistent regional labour market disparities developed in virtually all new member states and candidate countries and there is some evidence of polarisation. Differences in starting conditions and market access seem to be the major reasons for regional divergence in transition. Furthermore, regional wages are only slightly more flexible than in many EU labour markets, inter-regional migration is low and capital seems to move towards high wage and low unemployment urban centres rather than to the most backward regions. Policy should thus take a long-run perspective on the existing regional disparities, focus on removing barriers to mobility, review existing institutions for implementing regional policy and aim at a close co-ordination of regional and labour market policy instruments.