Suchergebnisse

AbstractDrawing on qualitative research, this study endeavours to identify the determinants of return migration of young Romanians and Latvians in light of the most recent global economic crisis (GEC). The decision‐making patterns of young returnees are examined by three main research questions. How do macro‐events, such as the GEC, interfere with individual biographies creating specific return experiences? What can we say about the "crisis returnees", their migration motivations and re‐adaptation in the origin country? What are the main challenges of young adults facing life strategies in such uncertain periods? Data are drawn from 51 in‐depth interviews with Romanian and Latvian young adults, carried out in late 2015 and early 2016. Findings show that return migration is associated with economic conditions, family life, feelings of homesickness, and re‐adaptation experiences. Our results also confirm that youth transitions and migration have become more diversified and complex in the context of the economic crisis.

AbstractThe twin phenomena of ageing populations and declining populations are profoundly transforming societies and economies in Europe. Driven by decreasing fertility rates and the continuing increased life expectancy, populations have not been ageing uniformly across time and space. In an increasingly urbanized world, the spatial distribution of the young and the elderly is a matter of growing scholarly and policy interest. In Europe, this process is more pronounced in peripheral areas than in the core regions, while the development of metropolitan areas is associated with suburbanization predominantly driven by young in‐migrants. Latvia is an interesting case study for studying population ageing and its spatial imbalances due to the key role of emigration in population decline and ageing. By employing descriptive and spatial analysis, this study uses data from the Latvian census and population register to explore the relationships between population change and ageing processes. Global Moran's I and the local indicators of spatial association were used to identify spatial systems. The study confirmed global and local spatial autocorrelation for the both examined age variables. Using the Getis‐Ord Gi* method identified spatial clusters of the young and the elderly. We found more pronounced residential clustering of the elderly aged 75 and over in the depopulating region of Latgale, whereas the Riga metropolitan region and areas around the largest towns tend to cluster young residents.

This paper aims to shed light on work-life balance in Latvia during the state of emergency. The COVID-19 outbreak has led many governments to introduce lockdowns. While the restrictions imposed may help to contain the spread of the virus, they may also result in substantial damage to the well-being of the population. The COVID-19 outbreak in Latvia demonstrates the extent and ways in which socio-demographics has determined different patterns of behaviour, attitudes, employment changes and harmonised work and life balance. The study describes the development of COVID-19 in the country chronologically. It shows labour migration to and from Latvia before the COVID-19 outbreak, and then discusses geographical features of the distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The extent of the COVID-19 threat is
assessed focusing on the global, national, regional and intra-family levels. Finally, types of employment and work-life balance are analysed according to the geography and age groups.