Publications / Other reports / 2001 / 2001:101 Geographical aspects of human capital accumulation
Geographical aspects of human capital accumulation
The empirical case of this thesis is migration from Norway and the other Scandinavian countries. A specific focus is on the relationship between skills and migration. Human capital characteristics are analyzed as background variables affecting migratory behavior and migration is analyzed as an act of human capital accumulation. The point of departure was a hypothesis about "brain drain", or more precisely, a concern that lower formal barriers between the Norwegian and the Western European labor markets should cause a substantial net outflow of highly educated labor from Norway. Studying the migration pattern of Scandinavian citizens the temporary element soon becomes one of the most striking features. People move abroad, but a clear majority returns to their home country within few years. Looking through the spectacles of an economist, the logical question to ask then becomes: What may people gain from temporary migration not only while staying abroad but also after return? This question moved the perspective of the research from the concern about "brain drain" to the investigation of a hypothesis that migration may cause a home country "brain gain".