The dynamics of inter-regional migration in Poland

In this paper, we modify the Harris-Todaro model of migration to incorporate the impact of human capital, housing stock and the availability of publicly provided goods like health care and road provision to analyse the determinants of migration in different regions of the transition economy Poland. We apply the Seemingly Unrelated Rgression Equation [SURE] model to investigate the data. Our results show that GDP per capita, unemployment and distance have a strong effect on regional migration in Poland. Human capital is an important explanatory factor as is the provision of key publicly provided facilities such as roads. The lack of housing in Poland is crucial in explaining the low levels of internal migration.