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The Brain Drain between Knowledge Based Economies: the European Human Capital Outflows to the US

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  • Ahmed Tritah

Abstract

This paper uses the 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2006 U.S. micro censuses data to document the magnitude and nature of European human capital outflow to the United States. I found that while emigration is about a small number of individuals, the share of Europeans who are leaving is increasing as one moves along the educational distribution and ladder of occupations that matter the most in the knowledge economy. Next, using productivity based brain drain indices it is found that aggregate human capital conveyed by emigrants has increased since the 1990s. Finally, as a better understanding on the nature of human capital embodied in European emigrants, I show that the Europeans earn a positive wage premium relative to the US natives. Moreover, this premium is higher for the most recent expatriates cohorts, providing further evidence that the quality of European emigrants has increased.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed Tritah, 2008. "The Brain Drain between Knowledge Based Economies: the European Human Capital Outflows to the US," Working Papers 2008-08, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2008-08
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    1. Mikael Lindahl & Alan B. Krueger, 2001. "Education for Growth: Why and for Whom?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1101-1136, December.
    2. Chiswick, Barry R, 1978. "The Effect of Americanization on the Earnings of Foreign-born Men," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 86(5), pages 897-921, October.
    3. Virginie Coudert & Cécile Couharde, 2009. "Currency Misalignments and Exchange Rate Regimes in Emerging and Developing Countries," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(1), pages 121-136, February.
    4. Saint-Paul, Gilles, 2004. "The Brain Drain: Some Evidence from European Expatriates in the United States," IDEI Working Papers 307, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    5. Angel de la Fuente & Antonio Ciccone, 2003. "Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 562.03, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    6. Saint-Paul, Gilles, 2004. "The Brain Drain: Some Evidence from European Expatriates in the US," CEPR Discussion Papers 4680, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    Cited by:

    1. Frédéric Docquier & Hillel Rapoport, 2012. "Globalization, Brain Drain, and Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 50(3), pages 681-730, September.
    2. Docquier Frédéric & Rapoport Hillel, 2009. "Documenting the Brain Drain of “La Crème de la Crème”: Three Case-Studies on International Migration at the Upper Tail of the Education Distribution," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 229(6), pages 679-705, December.
    3. Jürgen Janger & Klaus Nowotny, 2014. "Bestimmungsfaktoren für die Arbeitsplatzwahl von Wissenschaftern und Wissenschafterinnen," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 87(1), pages 81-89, January.
    4. Wifo, 2014. "WIFO-Monatsberichte, Heft 1/2014," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 87(1), January.
    5. Yvette E. Hofmann & Maria Strobel, 2020. "Transparency goes a long way: information transparency and its effect on job satisfaction and turnover intentions of the professoriate," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 90(5), pages 713-732, June.
    6. Jürgen Janger & Klaus Nowotny, 2013. "Career Choices in Academia. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 36," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 46922.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Emigration; Brain-drain; Human capital; Knowledge economy; Europe-US;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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