Jaramillo, M. (2013).  Apego al terruño: la geografía espacial de los mercados laborales de docentes (Documentos de Investigación N° 68). Lima: GRADE.

In developing countries, the unequal distribution of teacher quality is a problem that underlies the unequal distribution of educational attainment. However, little is known about how the labour market generates this type of distribution. To contribute to this type of knowledge, this study investigates whether there is a national market for teachers in Peru or, rather, smaller regional markets.

Based on discrete choice multinomial models —estimated with survey data from the regions of Loreto and Lambayeque— we identify variables associated with the location of teachers’ first job, including geographical factors and characteristics of teachers and the institutional framework. The results reveal that teacher markets are regional in scope: being born in a particular province significantly increases the probability of getting a first teaching job in that same province. There is also evidence that geographical mobility of teachers is rather limited. These findings suggest that policies to strengthen teacher education systems and reduce inequalities should focus on the regional level.