It is commonly argued that higher levels of mobility among job seekers leads to
greater labour market efficiency; improving job matching, reducing friction, and
resulting in lower overall levels of unemployment. If unemployment gives rise to
migration, and migration increases the prospect of employment (Pekkala and Tervo,
2002); labour migration might be regarded as highly micro-efficient process. In the
Australian context such an argument is particularly appealing in light of flagging
growth in Australia’s rural and remote regions (Mitchell and Bill, 2006).