Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP4274
Authors: Thomas Bauer; Astrid Kunze
Abstract: This Paper provides a descriptive analysis of the demand for high-skilled workers using a new firm dataset, the IZA International Employer Survey 2000. Our results suggest that while workers from EU countries are mainly complements to domestic high-skilled workers, workers from non-EU countries are hired because of a shortage of high-skilled labour. The Paper, furthermore, provides a short description of recent German policy initiatives regarding the temporary immigration of high-skilled labour. In view of our descriptive results these temporary immigration policies seem, however, to satisfy only partly the demand of firms interested in recruiting foreign high-skilled workers. A more comprehensive immigration policy covering also the permanent immigration of high-skilled workers appears to be necessary.
Keywords: high-skilled worker; immigration policy; IZA employer survey; migration
JEL Codes: F22; J41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Domestic shortage of skilled labor (J24) | Firms recruiting high-skilled foreign workers (J68) |
| Firms recruiting high-skilled foreign workers (J68) | Higher overall shares of high-skilled workers (J69) |
| Foreign high-skilled workers (J61) | Unique knowledge and skills not available domestically (F59) |
| Foreign high-skilled workers (J61) | Complements to domestic high-skilled workers (J24) |
| Temporary immigration policies (J68) | Partial satisfaction of demand for high-skilled labor (J69) |