Doctors as Taxi Drivers: The Costs of Brain Waste among Highly Skilled Immigrants in the United States
A report release and presentation of first-ever U.S. estimates on the actual economic costs of skill underutilization for immigrants, their families, and the U.S. economy, in terms of forgone earnings and unrealized federal, state, and local taxes.
The United States has long attracted some of the world’s best and brightest, drawn by the strong U.S. economy, renowned universities, and reputation for entrepreneurship and innovation. But because of language, credential-recognition, and other barriers many of these highly skilled, college-educated immigrants cannot fully contribute their academic and professional training and skills once in the United States. As a result they work in low-skilled jobs or cannot find a job—a phenomenon known as brain waste.
At this event, MPI presents a report with the first-ever U.S. estimates on the economic costs of this skill underutilization for immigrants, their families, and the U.S. economy. In addition to nationwide cost estimates, experts discuss forgone earnings and tax payments for a number of key states: California, Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
The panel’s participants also discuss the factors linked to immigrant skill underutilization; highlight the potential for current city, state, and U.S. labor policy (including implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) to reduce this brain waste; and offer an employer-based view of skill underutilization and how it can be addressed.
Speakers:
Michael Fix, President, MPI
Jeanne Batalova, Senior Policy Analyst, MPI
Amanda Bergson-Shilcock, Senior Policy Analyst, National Skills Coalition
Wendy Chan, Strategy Senior Manager, Accenture
Steve Tobocman, Director, Global Detroit, and Leadership Team, WE Global Network
Moderators:
Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus, MPI
About the Global Skills and Talent Initiative
Anchored in the premise that immigration policy must be part of a broader skills and talent strategy, the Initiative has a particular focus on employment-based immigration and the supports that can help immigrants apply their full range of educational and professional skills.
About the U.S. Immigration Policy Program
The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides analysis of U.S. immigration pathways, the impacts of enforcement and other policies, and the characteristics of immigrant populations.
About the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
The Center is a national hub connecting policymakers, educators, community leaders, and service providers with evidence-informed policy research, technical assistance, and data to advance effective immigrant integration at U.S., state, and local levels.
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