Medical Worker Migration and Origin-Country Human Capital: Evidence from US Visa Policy

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Abarcar, Paolo; Theoharides, Caroline
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6535
• DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01131
• 发表日期: 2024-01
• 页码: 20-35
• 关键词: brain-drain; INVESTMENT; education; GLOBALIZATION; MIGRANTS; returns; GROWTH

摘要

We exploit changes in U.S. visa policies for nurses to measure the origin-country human capital response to international migration opportunities. Combining data on all migrant departures and postsecondary institutions in the Philippines, we show that nursing enrollment and graduation increased substantially in response to greater U.S. demand for nurses. The supply of nursing programs expanded. Nurse quality, measured by licensure exam pass rates, declined. Despite this, for each nurse migrant, nine additional nurses were licensed. New nurses switched from other degree types but graduated at higher rates than they would have otherwise, increasing the human capital stock in the Philippines.