Understanding high-skilled migration in developed countries

Abstract

"Chapter 1 outlines the different approaches seecting highly skilled immigrants in the main destination countries of the OECD and identifies the major shifts in policies which have occurred over the last decade. It also discusses the approach of the EU in entering the contest for talent, particularly the recently adopted 'blue card' initiative. (...) Chapter 2 provides an overview of highly skilled migration into OECD countries. Using recently collected data on the number of immigrants with tertiary education in the OECD, we describe the main trends in the immigration of highly skilled individuals from the receiving-country perspective. Furthermore, the use of census data for selected OECD countries allows us to look at patterns of immigration at the very top of the skill distribution. We then analyse the development in the global pool of highly skilled individuals in the origin countries.(...) Building on this descriptive analysis, Chapter 3 examines the economic, legal, and institutional determinants of highly skilled migration in detail. Drawing on Ortega and Peri (2009) and Grogger and Hanson (2008), a scale equation and a selection equation are derived from a simple migration model. Using a panel data set which comprises 74 sending and 14 OECD destination countries over the 1980 to 2005 period, we explain the scale and the skill selectivity of immigration using a large set of variables which are derived from economic and political considerations. (...) Using the same data set, Chapter 4 addresses the impact of highly educated immigrants on employment, productivity, capital accumulation, and output in the receiving countries. Using an aggregate production function framework akin to growth accounting, we decompose the migration effects into a total immigration effect and the effect of the 'brain gain', which is measured as the share of tertiary educated individuals in the immigrant population. (...) The findings in Chapter 4 suggest that total immigration is beneficial for employment, capital accumulation, and total output, and that these gains increase with the share of highly skilled individuals in the Immigrant population. Nevertheless, most receiving countries restrict immigration and are reluctant to implement immigration policies that systematically select highly skilled immigrants. Chapter 5 focuses on this puzzle. (...) Chapter 6 adopts a more long-term view and addresses the possible implications of the contest for talents from a normative perspective. It explores-political economy forces against skilled migration not with standing what would happen if developed countries compete more actively for highly skilled labour in the future. (...) Finally, chapter 7 summarizes our main findings and draws some policy conclusions." (Text excerpt, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Brücker, H., Bertoli, S., Facchini, G., Mayda, A. & Peri, G. (2012): Understanding high-skilled migration in developed countries. The upcoming battle for brains. In: T. Boeri, H. Brücker, F. Docquier & H. Rapoport (Hrsg.) (2012): Brain drain and brain gain : the global competition to attract high-skilled migrants, p. 15-198.