The Microeconomic Determinants of Emigration and Return Migration of the Best and Brightest Evidence From the Pacific

A unique survey which tracks worldwide the best and brightest academic performers from three Pacific countries is used to assess the extent of emigration and return migration among the very highly skilled, and to analyze, at the microeconomic level, the determinants of these migration choices. Altho...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gibson, John
Other Authors: McKenzie, David
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C The World Bank 2009
Online Access:
Collection: World Bank E-Library Archive - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 01932nmm a2200229 u 4500
001 EB002099383
003 EBX01000000000000001239473
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 221013 ||| eng
100 1 |a Gibson, John 
245 0 0 |a The Microeconomic Determinants of Emigration and Return Migration of the Best and Brightest  |h Elektronische Ressource  |b Evidence From the Pacific  |c Gibson, John 
260 |a Washington, D.C  |b The World Bank  |c 2009 
300 |a 53 p 
700 1 |a McKenzie, David 
700 1 |a Gibson, John 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b WOBA  |a World Bank E-Library Archive 
028 5 0 |a 10.1596/1813-9450-4965 
856 4 0 |u http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/book/10.1596/1813-9450-4965  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 330 
520 |a A unique survey which tracks worldwide the best and brightest academic performers from three Pacific countries is used to assess the extent of emigration and return migration among the very highly skilled, and to analyze, at the microeconomic level, the determinants of these migration choices. Although the estimates indicate that the income gains from migration are very large, not everyone migrates and many return. Within this group of highly skilled individuals, the emigration decision is found to be most strongly associated with preference variables such as risk aversion, patience, and choice of subjects in secondary school, and not strongly linked to either liquidity constraints or the gain in income to be had from migrating. Likewise, the decision to return is strongly linked to family and lifestyle reasons, rather than to the income opportunities in different countries. Overall the data show a relatively limited role for income maximization in distinguishing migration propensities among the very highly skilled, and point to the need to pay more attention to other components of the utility maximization decision