Microeconomic determinants of skilled migration: The case of Suriname

Abstract

Suriname witnesses a brain drain, in particular to the Netherlands. We study the determinants of this brain drain for skilled individuals, where we rely on an adaptation of the survey proposed in Gibson and McKenzie (2011). We managed to interview a unique set of 286 former top students, who studied in Suriname and now work and live either in the Netherlands or Suriname. We find that important determinants for skilled migration are (1) the social economic status, (2) whether the student enjoyed education in the capital city of Suriname, (3) the pure science courses taken at high school, (4) the social attachment with the country, and (5) the difference in economic growth between the home and destination country. We discuss the implications for policy makers.