Study of the reasons for moving away from Lapland

In Lapland, as in other regions, the key future issue is the access to and adequacy of a skilled workforce. The starting point for the project was the knowledge that emigration from Lapland occurs particularly in the 17-28 age group. There are many assumptions around the causes of emigration, but a paucity of research data remains. The study identified the underlying causes by age and occupational group, municipality and gender, where possible.According to the statistical analysis, Lapland suffers significant migration losses among young people (15–24 years), but there are large differences in migration between municipalities. In the group of young adults, Lapland suffers a loss of migration, especially to Oulu. These adults usually do not return to Lapland but continue to move to the growth centres in the south.In addition to the statistical information uncovered, the reasons for leaving Lapland were analysed in a survey and focus group interview. The purpose of the survey was to understand, more precisely, the reasons for moving away from Lapland. A total of 346 people responded to the survey, most of whom had already moved away from Lapland. The survey revealed that half of those moving away could however be persuaded to move back given the right circumstances. Often, however, these circumstances fail to materialise.Report available in Finnish: https://lapinluotsi.fi/news-article/lapista-poismuuttoselvitys/