Spatial Patterns of Private Sector and Public Sector Non-Agricultural Jobs in Rural Northeast Thailand

Lohmann C. and Liefner I. Spatial patterns of private sector and public sector non-agricultural jobs in rural Northeast Thailand, Regional Studies . Published evidence from developing countries shows that in rural areas participation in non-agricultural wage-employment rises with proximity to urban centres, while earnings do not. This paper explores the reasons for this phenomenon, analysing the job characteristics of rural workers in detail. The data set consists of 900 jobs. The results show that public jobs are over-represented in rural--remote regions, driving up the mean wage of this type of region. When considering private sector employment only, spatial wage and income differentials do exist, showing that workers in remote areas are economically more disadvantaged than workers in peri-urban areas.