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Brain Drain Across the United States

jec.senate.gov

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Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#21

Post by badosu »

expressrunning wrote: post #4

What’s interesting is the world has a brain drain.....and the highly educated adults are going to US. From places like India and China. Don’t believe me? Check this out: Chinese students got beaten down by university securities, for protesting against fake degrees given to them. Happened today https://www.reddit.com/r/China/comments/bhxgng/chinas_studen...

I'd say there's brain drain even if the workers stay at their country, working remotely for US companies.

The most qualified people around me on previous jobs moved to US, Europe or are working remotely (myself included).

It's sad because it increases the difficulty of local companies to grow a good team, continuing the cycle.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#23

Post by geofft »

taurath wrote: post #11

Brain drain within the US is just as frequently about cultural rather than economic issues. The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people - anti-intellectualism is killing these states. That said, it’s incredibly underserved and there’s tons of very capable and friendly people. Edit: maybe I didn’t get the intended point across - I’d ask though, how many people do you…

This is an entirely fair point—there's a fair amount of brain drain that can be attributed to "I don't want to live in a red state."

The LGBT thing is anecdotally true in my experience, and in particular, leaving your home state for college is a good socially-acceptable excuse to leave your home state and meet others you suspect are like you at exactly the same time that you're no longer a minor under your parents' control.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#24

Post by 2bitencryption »

taurath wrote: post #11

Brain drain within the US is just as frequently about cultural rather than economic issues. The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people - anti-intellectualism is killing these states. That said, it’s incredibly underserved and there’s tons of very capable and friendly people. Edit: maybe I didn’t get the intended point across - I’d ask though, how many people do you…

I wonder what it would look like to superimpose over the maps in this article a map of states with the highest rate of climate-change denial?

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#25

Post by solveit »

burfog wrote: post #5
threatofrain wrote: post #3

I'm sure the parents want the kids getting out of brain-drain regions too. Why ought kids stay?

Some may. I certainly don't agree. Those "brain-drain regions" are the places where kids can afford to raise grandkids. Aside from weather, they are generally nicer places to live.

Young people certainly know this. And they're making the free, informed decision to forego raising children in return for living somewhere where they can both maximize their career potential and socialize with people more compatible with themselves.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#26

Post by crazygringo »

Interesting... I've only ever heard of brain drain used in an international context. Which is where the US comes out as a winner, as we're gaining from all the highly educated Chinese and Indians who come here to work and start companies.

I actually find the concept rather odd to use domestically, because it's generally used to show a contrast between a country paying for your college education, and then you reaping the benefits in a different, richer country -- which can seem unfair.

But in the US, students 1) generally pay for their own college education, and 2) often go to college in a state different from where they grew up and different from where they'll settle down later. So it doesn't seem to have any "unfair" aspect.

I mean, complaining about brain drain domestically feels like complaining about free trade domestically... it doesn't make sense to me. People have the freedom to move to areas of better economic opportunity and that's a good thing in a dynamic, ever-changing country like America. Complaining about brain drain domestically really just sounds like wishing more people lived in the country instead of in big cities... no thanks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_capital_flight#United_St...

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#27

Post by Rafuino »

taurath wrote: post #11

Brain drain within the US is just as frequently about cultural rather than economic issues. The culture wars the republicans have been running on since the 80s turns off thoughtful people - anti-intellectualism is killing these states. That said, it’s incredibly underserved and there’s tons of very capable and friendly people. Edit: maybe I didn’t get the intended point across - I’d ask though, how many people do you…

I think it's partially cultural and partially economic. I left my home state (which scored poorly in this Senate report) because I couldn't get a great education in the state system, nor were there any prospects for the kinds of careers I was interested in (and there still aren't today). I love visiting where I grew up, and most of my family is still there, but the jobs I want are not and will not be there for any foreseeable future.

Seeing your edit, I can understand why you think it's mostly cultural rather than economic, but I definitely think it's both.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#28

Post by akhilcacharya »

expressrunning wrote: post #4

What’s interesting is the world has a brain drain.....and the highly educated adults are going to US. From places like India and China. Don’t believe me? Check this out: Chinese students got beaten down by university securities, for protesting against fake degrees given to them. Happened today https://www.reddit.com/r/China/comments/bhxgng/chinas_studen...

You’re 100% correct and it is why I’m generally very bullish on America despite the gloom and doom on the right and late stage capitalists on the left. It’s the competitive advantage of being a nation bound by ideas and common purpose than a monarch or ethnicity or religion.

Re: Brain Drain Across the United States

#30

Post by Rafuino »

js2 wrote: post #2

Conclusion States which retain and attract highly-educated adults stand to reap substantial economic benefits. At the same time, those that bleed much of their homegrown talent will see their economic fortunes decline if they fail to replace the leavers with highly-educated out-of-staters. Yet even if they do manage to offset their losses, these states are still losing a vital source of social capital. What is more,…

"As those natives who have more resources leave, those left behind may struggle to support churches, police athletic leagues, parent-teacher associations, and local businesses."

Huh... churches are the first thing that come to mind. Yep, this was definitely written by a Utah senate staff.

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