UK Internal Migration GCSE Geography Case Study
A student emailed me with a request for a case study on internal migration in an MEDC. This got me thinking about the reasons people might leave beautiful Cornwall for busy London/South East. There are a range of push and pull factors.
Remember
- PUSH Factor = The reasons why people leave a place
- PULL Factor = The reasons why people are attracted to a place
“Push” factors from Cornwall – Why People Leave
- Only seasonal tourism jobs available – Think of all those lifeguards, restaurant workers, souvenir shops only open for 6 months of the year. Newquay’s population soars from 25,000 to as much as 100,000 between Easter and September
- Low paid jobs – minimum wage and little overtime – Average salary – £17,628 – Good if dated article here – BBC 2005
- House prices too high – Second home ownership is pushing up the price of homes in COrnwall – See this BBC article here
- Fewer opportunities – Not the range of jobs available
- Not as many services e.g. specialised hospitals, entertainment, sports facilities (Cornwall has no League football team! – The nearest is Plymouth Argyle)
- Fairly isolated and lack of a motorway – Only the A30 which is only dual carriageway until Truro
“Pull” factors of South East/London – Why People are attracted to London
- Well paid work – Average salary is £33,634 – See the graph here
- Greater number of jobs and opportunities
- Good communications – motorway links, airports (Gatwick, Heathrow, City)
- Cultural / Social attractions (galleries, theatres, restaurants etc… especially in London)
Negative effects on Cornwall:
- Less money in local economy
- Brain drain of educated individuals
- Services closed
- Crime increase
- Ageing population – Many young people leave
Positive effects on Cornwall
- More jobs for those left
- Government assistance – cheaper for new businesses to set up in Cornwall
Negative effects on South East:
- Overcrowding
- Traffic congestion
- Higher house prices
Hope this helps! Any more suggestions are welcome!