The paper provides an analysis of labour mobility in Italy, with a joint analysis of residence transfers and "long-range" commuting. In the period 1990-2005, migration inflows have increased in the Centre North, both in short- and long-range component. In the South, by contrast, the low short-range mobility has decreased further, while the emigration toward the North remained significant; moreover, the high-educated outflows have increased significantly.
The empirical findings show that South-North migration continues to be driven by the large economic differentials between the two areas. In the second half of the nineties, the widening gap on the employment rate, the downsizing of the public sector and the reduction of the gap on house prices have prompted a growing number of people to emigrate. In the current decade the strong growth of house prices in the Centre North has contributed to reduce the phenomenon. The spread of temporary contracts and immigration from abroad have also affected the migration propensity of natives and structurally changed the nature of mobility.
