In this paper, we examine the long-term patterns of geographical disparities in human capital and income in Finland and Sweden over the period 1987–2015. Using nationwide longitudinal population register data, we analyze disparities at different spatial scales, between and within functional labor market regions determined by observed travel-to-work patterns. Contrary to the findings from many other developed economies indicating inter-regional divergence in per capita income, we find indications of inter-regional convergence in per capita earnings among the functional labor market regions in both countries after 2000. However, small, and peripheral regions have not recovered from the macroeconomic shocks in the 1990s, in terms of per capita earnings. Our estimates indicate relatively small and statistically insignificant changes in the geographical dispersion of human capital at the inter-regional scale. At the intra-regional scale, the disparities in human capital and earnings between the core and hinterlands are relatively large and persistent, although some evidence of convergence is found for Finland. The largest intra-regional differences in human capital and earnings are found within the metropolitan labor markets.

在本文中，我们研究了 1987 年至 2015 年期间芬兰和瑞典人力资本和收入地域差异的长期模式。使用全国纵向人口登记数据，我们分析了不同空间尺度上、功能性劳动力市场区域之间和内部的差异，这些差异由观察到的上班旅行模式决定。与许多其他发达经济体的调查结果表明人均收入存在区域间差异相反，我们发现 2000 年后两国功能性劳动力市场区域的人均收入存在区域间趋同的迹象。就人均收入而言，尚未从 1990 年代的宏观经济冲击中恢复过来。我们的估计表明，在区域间范围内，人力资本的地理分布发生了相对较小且统计上不显着的变化。在区域内尺度上，尽管芬兰发现了一些趋同的证据，但核心和腹地之间的人力资本和收入差距相对较大且持续存在。人力资本和收入的区域内差异最大的是大都市劳动力市场。