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This study investigates opportunities for occupational status attainment through spatial mobility in early stratification processes. We focus in particular on how this relationship is conditioned by young people’s occupational status aspirations as well as by institutional and local structural opportunities, thereby scrutinizing how spatial mobility may contribute to unequal career opportunities. Empirically, we analyze occupational status attainment in the transition from school to Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Germany. Using longitudinal data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) combined with fine-grained regional information, we show that young people who commute or relocate for a VET position are more likely to secure higher-status VET positions. Yet spatial mobility is only associated with higher occupational status attainment among young people with higher levels of occupational status aspirations, among those originating from structurally weak regions and those with at least an intermediate secondary school-leaving certificate. We conclude that spatial mobility can enable young people to overcome regional disadvantages, functioning as an agentic strategy for pursuing occupational goals more effectively. At the same time, it tends to widen status differentials between socially stratified educational groups and remains shaped by local structural opportunities. • Spatial mobility in school-to-VET transition raises occupational status attainment. • Benefits concentrate among youth with high occupational status aspirations. • Mobility helps entrants from structurally weak regions overcome regional barriers. • Status gains appear for intermediate/upper certificates, not for low/no certificates. • Mobility can reduce regional gaps yet widen inequality between education groups.
Wicht et al. (Mon,) studied this question.