Brain Drain

Brain drain is an informal idiom used to describe an effect happening when a considerable number of skilled professionals migrate to other countries, or regions within one country. The idiom might as well be applied to a similar process of specialists leaving a certain sphere or an entity. A brain drain may be caused by a variety of factors, with the most prominent one typically being better working and living conditions in a place of relocation.

Brain drain is generally considered to be a negative, but in most cases inevitable trait of economical and business processes, as different areas develop at various speeds and under various conditions.

Brain Drain main features

A typical attribute of brain drain is that it is strongly associated with highly competent workers, and by losing such individuals, a home country suffers several negative consequences. 

Most notable of those consequences are the following:

• A loss of trained personnel, which is particularly crucial in life spheres directly affecting the quality of living of a country’s population in general (for instance, healthcare, science and research, education);
• A damaging effect of such a loss on a country’s financial conditions and economy, as the country misses a possibility to charge income taxes on those who left the country as a part of brain drain, and such individuals are often of upper income, and contribute significant amount into the coffers of the state; an overall purchasing activity within a region also suffers;
• A resulting waste of resources spent on education and professional development of said specialists, which remains uncompensated after they leave the country.

The abovementioned effects are less pronounced in case brain drain takes place within an industry or a large organization, but it still takes its toll on the overall productivity of the area where it happens. Some negative consequences are also might be found in developed countries, towards which a flow of qualified immigrants usually directs. It might cause disturbances within local domestic labor markets.

Brain Drain reasons

A massive flight of trained professionals always happen for a reason. If brain drain involves an immigration between countries, it’s usually a pool of workers leaving a developing country in favor of more attractive work and living conditions and possibilities of a developed country. A home country of said workers might experience various adverse events such as economic declines, military conflicts, general degradation of living standards, and other possible occasions, all of which might lead to an eventual brain drain of specialists.

Concerning brain drain within a certain industry or an entity, an immense departure of workers is often based on a long period of instability or, at least, a general negative sentiment prevalent in the area, which is often backed with undisputable evidence and unsatisfying working conditions. Similar circumstances often develop during transition periods, characterized by massive changes, and those companies or industries which struggle to adapt to the changes tend to lose a big part of its workforce to those entities that are better in adjusting to new conditions.