New Forms of Long-Distance Labor Mobility and Their Impacts on Rural Areas.

Geographical mobility in the labor market shapes the working and living realities of many employees. Skilled labor shortages, economic concentration, and specialized employment structures mean that workers often commute long distances or work temporarily outside their home region. Especially in rural areas, this large-scale labor mobility can influence the social and economic development of workers’ home regions. This is particularly relevant for public services that rely heavily on volunteer work, especially local emergency response provided by volunteer fire departments.
The project examined the forms and prevalence of long-distance labor mobility and analyzed its consequences for rural areas. In cooperation with the AKFS Berlin, literature, statistical data, and the project’s own empirical surveys were evaluated. The study shows that approximately one-quarter of the working population exhibits characteristics of long-distance or frequent commuting. Such forms of mobility are particularly common in construction and finishing trades, transportation and logistics, and security professions. For civil protection, shift work, assembly assignments, and a lack of jobs close to home can make it particularly difficult for volunteer responders to be available on a daily basis. This often affects managers as well as those in specialized roles, such as self-contained breathing apparatus wearers and machine operators.

At the same time, the project identifies examples of best practices, including inter-municipal emergency response teams, pooled resources, digital administrative processes, partnerships with employers, full-time staff support, and new approaches to recruiting young talent. The findings make it clear that sustainable solutions require flexible organizational structures, open forms of engagement, and strong local partnerships.

Detailed information can be found in the published final report as well as in an in-depth article with recommendations for action on “Strengthening Risk Prevention in Disaster Management and Local Emergency Response in Rural Areas”:

Final report (in German)

BBSR-Paper (in German)