ABSTRACT
The creation of the European Community has been the most significant event for the economic, political, and social geography of Europe in the second half of the twentieth century. The European employment strategy is based on interrelated measures to enhance employment creating growth, social solidarity, equal treatment, and special efforts to promote access to jobs for the most vulnerable groups on the labour market. This chapter focuses on both theoretical and empirical observations, where especially the behaviour of different sectors is important. Many different views are held about the natural evolution of spatial disparities. They can be found in theories of regional development and in theories of international trade. Two models are mentioned, a static and a dynamic model, explaining regional development. Location theory, fundamental for the development of regional science, explains the spatial distribution of production activities in an economy. Total employment is increasing and the distribution of employment over the regions shows fewer differences.
