The Spatial Organization of a Local Labor Market: Employment and Residential Patterns in a Cohort of Engineering and Scientific Workers

A case study of the local labor market for engineers and scientists at three Lockheed plants in the Los Angeles metropolitan area is presented. The specifications of a questionnaire survey are described and a detailed statistical profile of questionnaire respondents is laid out. It is shown that the local labor market is highly concentrated in geographical space and that both job shifts and residence shifts of sampled workers tend to be extremely localized within the urban area. It is suggested that local labor markets with features like these are a source of significant agglomeration economies for employers.