Fabiana Minneci

Migration Studies at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon,

Lisbon, Portugal,

fabiana.minneci@campus.ul.pt

IF THERE WERE A ‘HIGHLY SKILLED RED OCTOPUS’? THE CASE

OF ITALIAN HIGHLY SKILLED MOBILITY AT TIMES OF CRISIS

Abstract. The aim of the present paper is to provide an analysis of the recent growth in emigration of highly skilled workers from Italy and to put it in the context of the overall crisis influencing Southern European countries. In doing so, a comparison of two recent studies on the phenomenon will be presented, highlighting the fact that nowadays highly skilled flows tend to have distinctive features, both in terms of forms and trajectories. Attention will be given to under-studied determinants surrounding the decision to move to urban centres that are not traditional poles of attraction for highly  skilled people. This paper aims to warn of the need to revise, or at least complement, existing studies on the phenomenon with more updated theoretical paradigms.

Received: March, 2015

1st Revision: June, 2015

Accepted: September, 2015

DOI: 10.14254/2071- 789X.2015/8-3/13

JEL Classification: F22, I23, J60

Keywords: highly  skilled  mobility,  economic  crisis,  Southern European countries, Italy.