Skill-biased technological change, unemployment and brain drain

Harald Fadinger and Karin Mayr-Dorn

No 2012011, Norface Discussion Paper Series from Norface Research Programme on Migration, Department of Economics, University College London

Abstract: We develop a general equilibrium model of technological change and migration to examine the effects of a change in skill endowments on wages, employment rates and emigration rates of skilled and unskilled workers. We find that, depending on the elasticity of substitution between skilled and unskilled workers, an increase in the skill ratio can increase the expected wage of the skilled and decrease the brain drain. We provide empirical estimates and simulations to support our findings and show that effects are empirically relevant and potentially sizeable. Our findings fit the stylized facts on educational upgrading in developing countries during the 1980s and the subsequent decrease in the brain drain from those countries during the 1990s.

Keywords: Technological Change; Skill Premia; Unemployment; Brain Drain. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 J61 J64 O33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lab and nep-mig
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: SKILL-BIASED TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND BRAIN DRAIN (2014)
Working Paper: Skill-biased technological change, unemployment and brain drain (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nor:wpaper:2012011

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