Skilled migration to emerging economies: the global competition for talent beyond the West

Abstract

ABSTRACT Here we chart new trends in the globalization of human capital, and the implications of these trends for our current understanding of skilled international labour migration. Existing approaches to skilled migration have developed around the drivers and consequences of global talent mobility to and between traditional destinations in Europe and North America. However, in the emerging economies of South and Southeast Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, we find unique state regulatory frameworks, local labour market dynamics, and economic development trajectories that require new analytical approaches. Therefore, we review and re-examine existing approaches in light of the emergence of new players in the global competition for talent. We identify three strategies and examine cases from each: (1) global hubs for talent (Dubai and Singapore), (2) engaging with the diaspora (India and Malaysia), and (3) building local human capital (Saudi Arabia). Finally, we present an agenda to move the field forward.