Outflow of Talents or Exodus? Evidence on youth emigration from EU’s peripheral areas

Abstract

Human-capital migration and its consequences for regional development are among the central issues discussed in migration and regional literature, while a growing interest has been recently observed in student migration as a driver of brain exchange between regions and countries. Furthermore, poor sending areas are often considered to be severely affected by the brain drain. Nevertheless, firm empirical evidence on the degree of the human-capital selectivity of youth migration is actually scarce due to measurement and methodological limitations.
 This paper sheds some light on human-capital redistribution across regions and countries by estimating the intensity and human-capital selectivity of youth emigration from poor and peripheral EU areas in Poland. A survey of 10 thousand secondary school graduates allowed an analysis of mobility patterns in relation to school-leaving exam results being a proxy for human capital, as well as to sex, type of school and former place of residence.
 This study revealed, that roughly 20% of graduates leave their home region, although migration rates across the youth characteristics followed by the results of logit regression model confirm that migration outflows, and particularly interregional moves, are a highly selective phenomenon. With regard to international mobility, student migration is positively selected as well, but economic migration among graduates electing not to continue education turns out to be adversely selected. Overall, the brain drain on EU’s peripheral areas in Poland with respect to the emigration of secondary-school graduates should be regarded as a selective outflow of most talented graduates to the leading academic centres, rather than massive migration of all graduates.

Population Forecast with Focus on Emigration: Scenarios for the Case of Peripheral Region

“…Maleszyk (2021) in the research highlight emigration age profile, when mostly young population are tended to emigrate. Special attention is devoted to university graduates, which are tended to emigrate from peripheral regions to economically higher developed regions (e.g., Maleszyk, 2021). As a result, young and well-educated population move from peripheral regions thus decreasing regional possibilities to overcome economic and social gap.…”

“…Moreover, Staniscia and Benassi (2018) in their research indicate that personal income and factors, which affect quality of life, are more relevant for explaining emigration than regional GDP. There are several factors, which encourage emigration: depopulation, population density, population dispersion, accessibility, mobility, rurality (Camarero & Oliva, 2019), employment, minimal monthly wages, income inequality (Laskiene, Zykiene, & Verdnikovaite, 2020), brain drain (Maleszyk, 2021), homeownership (Palomares-Linares & van Ham, 2020). Effects of emigration for peripheral regions mostly are negative as far as such areas lost human capital and thus strengthen their peripheral characteristics.…”

“…Effects of emigration for peripheral regions mostly are negative as far as such areas lost human capital and thus strengthen their peripheral characteristics. These effects are: continuing depopulation, demographic imbalance, territorial disadvantage (Camarero & Oliva, 2019), "brain waste" (Laskiene, Zykiene, & Verdnikovaite, 2020;Maleszyk, 2021), low economic development level. Special attention scientists pay to emigration of the young population (Camarero & Oliva, 2019).…”

“…Special attention scientists pay to emigration of the young population (Camarero & Oliva, 2019). Maleszyk (2021) in the research highlight emigration age profile, when mostly young population are tended to emigrate. Special attention is devoted to university graduates, which are tended to emigrate from peripheral regions to economically higher developed regions (e.g., Maleszyk, 2021).…”

“…There are some common factors, which stimulate emigration at regional leveldepopulation, low population density or high dispersion of population, accessibility of territory, availability of daily services, and possibilities to be mobile (Camarero & Oliva, 2019), income inequality and low level of monthly wages (Laskiene, Zykiene, & Verdnikovaite, 2020), brain drain and brain exchange (Maleszyk, 2021), homeownership (Palomares-Linares & van Ham, 2020). The most of these characteristics may be addressed and improved through regional development policies (e.g., Davies & Michie, 2011).…”