ABSTRACT
Many countries depend on immigrant labour forces to offset the impact of population ageing, to obtain new knowledge and foreign talent, to promote entrepreneurship and to expand into foreign markets. For some governments the search for foreign talent has become a top priority as they recognize that relatively small differences in talent can lead to large differences in economic outcomes. Developed countries facing demands for talent that exceed what they produce rely increasingly on foreign-born and foreign-educated workers to fill the gaps. Populous emerging market economies like India and China have increased their talent pools; as their own demands grow the global competition for talent will intensify. How are governments responding to mounting competition for highly skilled workers? What are the determinants and consequences of these recruitment programmes – both for receiving and sending countries?
