DP4274 The Demand for High-Skilled Workers and Immigration Policy

Author(s):	Thomas Bauer, Astrid Kunze
Publication Date:	February 2004
Keyword(s):	high-skilled worker, immigration policy, iza employer survey, migration
JEL(s):	F22, J41
Programme Areas:	Labour Economics
Link to this Page:	cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=4274

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.