Mostly highly educated specialists leave Germany to work abroad
As Deutsche Welle notes, most emigrants live abroad for a limited time. Therefore, statisticians say that Germany loses 51,000 residents each year. "Such a negative migration balance of its own citizens exists in all developed countries," explains Andreas Ette, head of a research group at the Federal Institute for Population Research.
One can speak of a brain drain only when far more highly qualified specialists leave the country than return. "But our study barely confirms this," Ette notes. Of those who leave Germany, 76 percent have a higher education diploma; among "returnees," 68 percent are university graduates.
The scientist points out that the migration situation should be considered as a whole, also taking into account how many foreign specialists come to Germany. Here the balance is positive. His arguments are shared by Werner Eichhorst from the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA): "It cannot be said that we permanently lose 51,000 specialists every year, and therefore there is a shortage of personnel on the labor market."
The scientist sees no reason for panic. According to his estimates, the number of those who leave Germany to live in another country is very limited: about one percent of the total working-age population of Germany.
Gabriel Felbermayr, head of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, views these figures with great skepticism: "Over the past ten years, we have lost half a million people. Three-quarters of them are highly qualified specialists. For the German economy, which heavily depends on well-trained personnel, this is bad news." In his view, the loss of labor resources cannot be compensated by migrants, since not all of them have the necessary level of education.
It is still difficult to say whether specialists who left Germany for abroad work in sectors where Germany itself lacks personnel — the data has yet to be analyzed.
What could prompt those who left to return to Germany? To do this, one must understand what attracts them to life abroad. Researchers surveyed more than 10,000 emigrants. The main reason is work: for almost 60 percent, it was the primary reason for moving. An important aspect is salary. On average, German specialists in another country receive a net income of 1,200 euros more. Even considering that living expenses are higher than in Germany, there is a benefit.
For almost half of the respondents, factors such as weather conditions, a different lifestyle, or the opportunity to gain new experience are also important. Every third person moved for family reasons, for example, because their partner is from another country. A third moved because their partner received a job offer in another country. Dissatisfaction with life in Germany is the least significant — 17 percent of respondents cited this reason.
The most popular country is Switzerland, followed by the USA, then Austria and the United Kingdom. Although women emigrate as often as men, the classic model dominates, where men's careers play a decisive role. Women start working again after returning to Germany.
"Precisely qualified specialists with high mobility can choose where to work and make decisions depending on how career opportunities combine with earning prospects and their personal life situation at a given time," notes Werner Eichhorst. Key factors include childcare and the housing situation. According to Eichhorst, German politicians should create attractive conditions in the country not only for companies but also for employees.
Gabriel Felbermayr, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, points to the importance of the financial aspect: "In Germany, taxes and social insurance contributions are high, while salaries for highly qualified employees are relatively low." He suggests following the example of Scandinavia and temporarily exempting those who decide to return to Germany from mandatory social insurance contributions or reducing the amount of contributions, as well as income tax.
Furthermore, the economist believes that working conditions in academia — universities and research organizations — should be improved: "Abroad, there are more opportunities to advance, make a scientific breakthrough, and make a name for yourself, because research institutes are often better equipped there." He cites Switzerland as a positive example. Thanks to large investments over the past 10-15 years, the popularity of Swiss universities among foreign professors has significantly increased.
Werner Eichhorst also believes that German universities cannot be called good employers. Employment contracts are often concluded for short periods — up to several months. Young employees have no job security. On the other hand, the expert from the Institute for the Study of Labor emphasizes that Germany also has advantages in terms of work culture. The economist counts legal security and social protection as advantages, which play an important role, especially for families.
The expert from the Institute for the Study of Labor believes that employers themselves could increase their attractiveness by offering employees the opportunity to work abroad for some time. His argument: having participated in international school exchanges or studied a semester in another country, a specialist expects greater openness and flexibility from the company.
In any case, all experts agree that preventing specialists from moving to another country is impossible and pointless. "Living abroad, a person accumulates impressions, experience, learns to deal with people from another culture – all this will be useful when he returns, both for himself and for the economy," says Eichhorst.