Low Propensity to Return: A Model of Permanent Italian Brain Drain

Abstract

The paper analyzes permanent aspects of brain drain phenomenon referred to Italian highly skilled workers. The analysis regards a sample of post-doctoral graduates, medical specialists, and academic researchers. Results suggest that brain drain in Italy is not temporary, as demonstrated by Dustmann-Weiss (2007) for UK case. A modified version of their model allows us to explain why Italy performs a peculiar characterization of brain drain with no return. Reasons for this diversity are shown to be: severe difficulties in career progression, low wages (barely sensible of high specialization), and scarce propensity of Government for expenditure in research. This theoretical background is confirmed by data sample in Monteleone-Torrisi (2010), which fits our model of permanent brain drain.

Keywords: Brain Drain, return migration, permanent migration

JEL Classification: F22, J24