People from families low-income women are significantly more likely to have a low standard of living as adults if they have grown up in some regions, a study published on Thursday 11 June, which emphasizes the usefulness of policies dedicated to the less mobile and non-graduate populations in these territories, reveals.
Rather than an opposition – commonly mentioned – between rural and urban areas, or between city centers and “peripheral France”, this study carried out by France Strategy highlights “inequalities of destiny” between regions.
“Growing up in a rural or peri-urban area does not reduce the standard of living of children of modest origin”, conclude the authors, Clément Dherbécourt and Gustave Kenedi.
On the other hand, “The territories with low prospects of standard of living are concentrated in the North and the South of the country: old regions Languedoc-Roussillon and Nord Pas de Calais, Corsica, departments of Aisne, Ardennes, Var and Vaucluse “, they detail.
“Level of wealth of the territory of origin”
To respond to the question “How much does a person’s standard of living depend on where they grew up? “, the two economists studied statistical data concerning 80,000 people, child of workers or employees, born between 1970 and 1988. They crossed the current standard of living of these people with the place where they spent their adolescence – whether they still live there or not.
Result: the “Income prospects in adulthood increase with the wealth level of the territory of origin”. Thus, people of modest origin who grew up in Ile-de-France have a median standard of living in adulthood of € 1,730, compared to € 1,474 for those who grew up in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
This is explained by the differences in wealth between regions and also by the fact that, everywhere, low-income households are much less mobile than wealthy families.
Develop public jobs in these regions?
Gold, “What really sets regions with low prospects for living standards apart from others is the very low standard of living for non-tertiary graduates who have not emigrated” in other regions, observe the authors.
In an attempt to reduce these disparities, the public authorities should therefore think about “Mobility incentives” to help some households “Reach regions with better prospects for employment”, they suggest.
However, this should not be, according to them, the only course of action because changing regions can have a “Significant cost to the well-being of individuals”.
For economists, it is therefore also worth considering in these most disadvantaged territories “Socio-fiscal incentives for the relocation of quality work stations”but also to develop public jobs there.
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