Economic Cost of Human Capital Loss from Fiji: Implications for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Small island nations in the South Pacific are facing a serious problem of loss of human capital. The loss of skilled and qualified personnel from the small pool is causing a major setback in terms of providing the technical expertise to forge ahead with reform programs that these economies are undertaking. Fiji's policymakers are increasingly confronting this issue, because the nation has experienced a massive outflow of skilled labor following the political instability in 1987. While there is an outflow of skilled labor, the country is also losing a large amount of financial capital. The extent of the outflow has yet to be measured due to lack of a methodology. This study advances a methodology to measure the loss to the economy arising out of human capital loss in a small island economy.

International Migrant Labors in Tourism and Hospitality: Developing a Framework of Motivational Pull Factors

“…Similarly, a study conducted by Reddy et al (2004), also noted that an increase in income level and higher standard of living as well as better social and economic opportunities such as education, health, and job opportunities are pull factors which motivate labors from Fiji to migrate to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and United States.…”

University Education and Migration Experiences in the South Pacific Region: Survey of Tongans in Fiji

“…Fiji's economy, regarded as one of the most devel oped economies in the South Pacific region, de rives its main foreign earnings from tourism, sugar processing and garment manufacturing (Fiji Bureau of Statistics 1996). Although from the late 1980s, emigration from Fiji drastically accelerated, triggered by several political up heavals, the remittances of those emigrants have been relatively insignificant compared to the case of Tonga and Samoa (Reddy et al 2002). Migration between Fiji and Tonga is made accessible by the visa waiver arrange ment for up to a one month stay in Tonga and up to four months in Fiji.…”

“…Finally, migration literature on Fiji has tended to emphasize the brain drain and emi gration of Fiji nationals (Rokoduru 2002) and the effects of political crises on Indo-Fijians (for example, Bedford 1989;Reddy et al 2002Reddy et al , 2004Voigt-Graf 2003). In the meantime, the migra tion of non-Fijian nationals to Fiji and their possible contributions to a solution to the brain drain issue has been only partially explored (Liki 2001;Tu'imaleali'ifano 1987Tu'imaleali'ifano , 1990).…”

Private Military and Security Labour Migration: The Case of Fiji

“…Pangerl, 2007;Voigt-Graf, 2005) and temporary migration of skilled workers such as nurses and teachers (e.g. Reddy et al, 2004;Voigt-Graf et al, 2007). Extensive attention has also been given to the impact of remittances on social protection and migration intentions (Jimenez and Brown, 2013;Leeves, 2009;Kaitani, et al, 2011), political instability as a migration determinant (Narayan and Smyth, 2003) and human capital loss as an emigration cost (Reddy et al, 2004;Chandra, 2004).…”

“…Reddy et al, 2004;Voigt-Graf et al, 2007). Extensive attention has also been given to the impact of remittances on social protection and migration intentions (Jimenez and Brown, 2013;Leeves, 2009;Kaitani, et al, 2011), political instability as a migration determinant (Narayan and Smyth, 2003) and human capital loss as an emigration cost (Reddy et al, 2004;Chandra, 2004). In other words, the existing literature centres around the patterns, intentions, benefits and costs of (skilled) migrations, with an emphasis on their development impacts.…”