Living on this side of the border, working on the other

Cross-border commuting plays a decisive role in local economies by creating jobs and income. More than two-thirds of the 320,000 residents of metropolitan France (mainland + Corsica) who work in a neighbouring country commute to Switzerland, Luxembourg or Monaco. The greater Geneva area alone is the destination for 60,000 of these migrants. Commuting to Belgium and Germany is less concentrated. Nearly 10% of cross-border commuters have the nationality of the country where they travel to work. Very few workers residing abroad commute to work in France. These commuting flows are a major component of cross-border territorial dynamics. In certain areas, they trigger positive demographic dynamics. In others, they help to dampen the effects of corporate restructuring. However, the flows sometimes delay the search for local solutions and make these areas dependent on economic conditions in neighbouring countries.