Brain drain refers to the emigration of highly skilled and trained individuals from developing countries to developed countries. If it occurs on a large scale, it drains the available talent in the country of origin.
A brain drain can harm the economy of the country of origin. Take a simple case. Many architects moved from Indonesia to the United States to pursue a career. When the government was aggressively building infrastructure, because many moved abroad, it is difficult to find qualified architects. Due to high demand, the cost of recruiting architects in Indonesia is more expensive, even for architects whose quality is relatively standard. And, that, of course, increases the cost of infrastructure development.
Several reasons cause brain drain. The main reason is better employment opportunities in the new country. Moving makes them grow financially, get more opportunities and can improve their professional skills.Political instability is also another driver. The IMF, for example, reported in 2006 that Iran experienced such migration. More than 180,000 people left Iran because of the poor job market and oppressive social and political conditions.
