Lavorare all'estero: fuga o investimento?

In occasion of the "AlmaLaurea" 2007 survey, young Italian graduates working abroad in that year were also interviewed for the first time. In this way, it was possible to carry out a study aimed at assessing whether the phenomenon of working abroad is an investment, an escape from the difficulties in their country of origin or a homecoming for foreign nationals who graduated in Italy. The data from the AlmaLaurea 2007 Survey on the work abroad of young people who have graduated in Italy are therefore very useful for discussing, on an objective basis, the nature and consistency of skilled migration, at least for young graduates. AlmaLaurea, in 2007, interviewed 44,009 graduates one year after graduation, of which 22,096 had obtained their title in the old university system (single degree level after 4 or 5 years) and the others in the reformed system, that introduced the double level. Within this sample, 404 graduates in 2006 and 544 graduates in 2002 were working outside their national borders. Thus, among those who were interviewed in 2007 both at one year and five years after graduation, the percentage was 4%. The most interesting data are those involving Italian nationals who have graduated in 2002. Five years after graduation, the reasons for migration are due in almost half the cases to the search for better working conditions, a key indicator of an effective permanent, or at least long term, transfer. The survey data show that migration of graduates, with increasing time since graduation, tends to focus on research, teaching, (almost in every cases, in universities) and high technology. The answers to many questions of the questionnaire clearly show that the reason for the migration of young graduates is mainly due to the fact that the employment status of graduates abroad is much better than those who work in Italy.