Beyond the mobility imperative? Work values and peripheral young adults’ spatial aspirations

This study examines how work value congruence shapes young adults’ spatial aspirations across different regional contexts amid the prevailing mobility imperative. Through comparative analysis of seven focus groups with 45 undergraduate students of International Business from three regional universities in Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands, the formation of work values and their role in future mobility decisions is explored. The research reveals how participants’ personal experiences, socio-economic backgrounds and career aspirations interact with dominant urban-centric discourses that privilege metropolitan areas over peripheral regions. While participants generally prioritised financial security, learning opportunities and work-life balance, variations emerged between domestic and international students, with the latter placing greater emphasis on monetary aspects. The study contributes to critical European regional scholarship by demonstrating the dominant role of external place attributes in participants’ spatial preferences, thereby confirming the urban bias in mobility discourse. However, it simultaneously argues that work values have the potential to reframe the centre-periphery dichotomous relationship. The findings suggest that European regional development policies could enhance talent attraction and retention in peripheral regions by strategically aligning local opportunities with young adults’ diverse work values through participatory engagement and university-industry collaborations.