Causes and consequences of the gender-specific migration from East to West Germany.

Abstract

Although German reunification took place 25 years ago, differences between East and West Germany still remain. After German reunification, people migrated from the east to the west because of differences in living standards and the new opportunities available. Silvia Maja Melzer analyses the causes and consequences of intra-German migration, both theoretically and empirically, from a gender-specific point of view and finds answers to the following questions: Which factors are decisive for the relocation of men and women? How does education influence the gender-specific decision to migrate? Who is relocating or commuting more often, men or women? In order to present a more comprehensive picture of gender-specific migration, contrasts are drawn respectively between men and women or singles and people in partnerships. How does the migration behaviour of East and West German couples and singles differ? What financial consequences result from migration? And: Are east-west migrants happier?