Migration and the Pursuit of Graduate Jobs by Irene Mosca Robert E. Wright Department of Economics University of Strathclyde November 4, 2009 Making An Impact Universities and the Regional Economy Woburn House Conference Centre, London
Introduction One of our objectives is to quantify the nature of graduate labour market flows between the countries and regions of the United Kingdom Why? Not a great deal is known about this. Regional focus: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales Export and import of graduates equally interesting as the export and import of goods and services Such Information is being fed into the CGE analysis Slide 2/23
Policy Relevance: Scotland Concern with depopulation of rural and remote regions of Scotland Migration flows of students and graduates thought to reinforce migration flows of general population (north and west to the east) Belief that building HEIs in rural and remote regions will help reverse these trends Costs versus benefits of free higher education Over-education and under-employment issues Slide 3/23
Table 1 Percentage Growth Rates of Various Higher Education Student Groups, 1994/95-2007/08 Type of Student: Scotland UK Full-time 26.2 37.5 Part-time 99.6 68.3 Under-graduates 38.1 46.5 Post-graduates 51.5 49.4 Foreign 100.4 108.8 Science 55.7 66.4 Non-science 30.3 36.2 All students 41.2 47.1 Source: Higher Education Statistical Agency
Table 2 Place of Domicile of Students at Scottish Higher Education Institutes, 1994/05 and 2007/08 1994/05 2007/08 Place of domicile: Numbers % Numbers % Scotland 103,426 69.5 148,460 70.6 England 20,819 14.0 21,560 10.3 Northern Ireland 4,443 3.0 4,800 2.3 Wales 645 0.4 675 0.3 Foreign 16,915 11.4 33,895 16.1 Missing All 2,660 1.8 795 0.4 148,908 100 210,185 100 Source: Higher Education Statistical Agency
Data Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) is the official agency for the collection, analysis and dissemination of quantitative information about higher education in the UK. Match data from three datasets: (1) Students in Higher Education Institutions (2) Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions 13 cohorts of graduates: 1994/95 to 2006/2007 (3) Destinations of Leavers From Higher Education Longitudinal Survey 1 cohort of graduates: 2002/03 Slide 10/23
The HESA data provide four key postal addresses: (1) Place of domicile (2) Place of study (3) Place of employment: : Six months after graduation (4) Place of employment: 36 months after graduation This allows us to identify different migration types: movers versus stayers
Table 3 Place of Domicile/Place of Study Matrix England 100% Place of Study England Scotland Wales NI Place of Domicile Scotland 100% Wales 100% NI 100%
Table 4 Place of Study/Place of Employment Six Months Matrix Place of Employment Six months England Scotland Wales NI England 100% Place of Study Scotland 100% Wales 100% NI 100%
Table 5 Place of Study/Place of Employment Six Months Matrix Place of Employment 36 months England Scotland Wales NI England 100% Place of Employment Six Months Scotland 100% Wales 100% NI 100%
Table 6 Percentage of Graduates Whose Place of Work is the Same as Their Place of Study (6 months) 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 England 97.3 97.5 97.5 97.4 Scotland 85.6 86.0 86.0 87.7 Wales 64.0 62.1 62.1 64.0 Northern Ireland 94.3 94.5 94.5 94.5 Source: HESA
Table 7 Percentage of Graduates From Different Regions Working in England (6 months), 2005/06 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Scotland 12.6 12.2 11.6 10.8 Wales 35.2 37.0 35.0 35.3 Northern Ireland 4.7 4.3 4.2 4.3 Source: HESA
What are the determinants of graduate migration flows? Fit logit regression models where the probability of migrating is related to observable characteristics Analysis for today focuses on the Scottish experience Today concerned mainly with Scottish-domiciled graduates who studied at Scottish higher education institutions Consider First-degree graduates and post-graduate graduates separately Fit similar models for England, Northern Ireland and Wales for comparative purposes
FINDINGS Scottish-domiciled first-degree graduates : Probability of migrating to England or Wales or Northern Ireland after graduation is higher for: Male Full-time Black ethnic background Graduated at age 22 (inverted U-shape) Science (or Science-led) 1 st Class degree Russell Group university Moved to go to HEI Regional effect (higher for Strathclyde region) Decline between 2002-2006
Scottish-domiciled post-graduate graduates Probability of migrating to England or Wales or Northern Ireland after graduation is higher for: Male Full-time Non-white ethnic background Graduated at age 26 (inverted U-shape) Science (or Science-led) Russell Group university Moved to go to HEI Regional effects of domicile less pronounced Little change in 2002-2006
How big are these effects? STEP 1: Create an hypothetical (first degree) graduate with the average characteristics of Scottish graduates and use the logit model estimates to predict the probability of migrating. GRADUATE A STEP (2) Create another hypothetical (first degree) graduate with the following characteristics: Male Full-time White ethnic background Graduated at age 22 Science 1 st Class degree Russell Group university and use the logit model estimates to predict the probability of migrating. GRADUATE B STEP (3) Compare the difference in the predicted probabilities
Predicted Probability of Migrating : Scottish-domiciled undergraduate graduates Graduate A Graduate B Scotland 3.9% 21.5%
Predicted Probability of Migrating : Scottish-domiciled undergraduate graduates Graduate A Graduate B Scotland 3.9% 21.5% England 0.8% 2.0% Northern Ireland 8.1% 26.7% Wales 3.1% 11.4%
Conclusions?