March 12, 2012

The Bane of Spain: a Not-So Inane Brain Drain

This article in the LA Times discusses the increasing trend of Europeans from around the Eurozone moving to Germany to find work. Spain's current unemployment rate is its highest in recent history - and the highest in Europe. The article briefly profiles an aeronautical engineer, who had previously worked for the CDTI in Madrid (Spain's equivalent to NASA), but has recently been forced to relocate to Germany in order to get steady work. Many European nations have criticized Germany's unabashed recruitment of the most highly educated and capable members of it's Eurozone partners' workforces.

Some questions:

1) The article mentions a possibility for long-term benefits of this migration for Spain and other currently "draining" countries when citizens repatriate in the future and bring their new wealth with them. Is that enough to counteract the compounding detrimental effects a bain-drain has on Spain given its current economy?

2) Will Berlin's decision to actively recruit highly educated citizens of other EU nations cause problems in the reform of EU institutions/stabilizing the Euro's credibility?

3) The US has been doing this for years - why are European nations angered at Germany, but not the United States?

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