This space aims to provide information on recent developments in the research field of the Labour Market Areas as well as important background information in the context of the official statistics.

• A Labour Market Area is a functional geographic area or region beyond the administrative boundaries defined for purposes of compiling, reporting and evaluating employment, unemployment, workforce availability and related topics.
• It is an economically integrated spatial unit within which residents can find jobs within a reasonable commuting distance or can change their employment without changing their place of residence.
• The concept of Labour Market Areas wants to bring light to the effects of commuting on the labour market centres and their hinterland. This should assist further in the design of employment, labour mobility and urban planning policies, while being based on relevant statistical evidence.
• The concept includes a harmonised methodology and standardised definitions, which should be usable and replicable in the whole EU.