The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy & Society

by William Kerr

The global race for talent is on, with countries and businesses competing for the best and brightest. Talented individuals migrate much more frequently than the general population, and the United States has received exceptional inflows of human capital. This foreign talent has transformed U.S. science and engineering, reshaped the economy, and influenced society at large. But America is bogged down in thorny debates on immigration policy, and the world around the United States is rapidly catching up, especially China and India. The future is quite uncertain, and the global talent puzzle deserves close examination. To do this, William R. Kerr uniquely combines insights and lessons from business practice, government policy, and individual decision making. Examining popular ideas that have taken hold and synthesizing rigorous research across fields such as entrepreneurship and innovation, regional advantage, and economic policy, Kerr gives voice to data and ideas that should drive the next wave of policy and business practice. The Gift of Global Talent deftly transports readers from joyous celebrations at the Nobel Prize ceremony to angry airport protests against the Trump administration's travel ban. It explores why talented migration drives the knowledge economy, describes how universities and firms govern skilled admissions, explains the controversies of the H-1B visa used by firms like Google and Apple, and discusses the economic inequalities and superstar firms that global talent flows produce. The United States has been the steward of a global gift, and this book explains the huge leadership decision it now faces and how it can become even more competitive for attracting tomorrow's talent. Please visit to learn more about the book.

Genres: Economics, Business, Nonfiction, Science

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 2, 2018

Reviews

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It turned out to be a very academic approach to immigration in the US, with a formal style of communication, almost no anecdotes or illustrations, lots of hedging (vs clear statements), etc. So, it wasn't a smooth read. Also, while he did a good job explaining the situation, I was hoping for more on practical ideas on what to do about it. Not terrible, just not awesome either.

[Benji · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Although the future of work is quite uncertain, the solution is not to squash the trends that appear to threaten today's jobs. One story highlights the Luddite fallacy in focusing just on job counts: Milton Friedman, a Nobel Prize winner in economic sciences, observed a canal project in Asia and asked why the workers had shovels instead of modern tractors and earthmovers. The government bureaucrat responded:"You don't understand. This is a jobs program." Friedman remarked:"Oh, I thought you were trying to build a canal. If it's jobs you want, then you should give these workers spoons, not shovels."'

Great opportunity for data scientists to shine a big data spotlight on global talent by combining data housed in separate government agencies that would be very valuable when connected. For example the LEHD data set identifies immigrants but does not include their visa status. Adding that detail would unlock tremendous research opportunities.

[Julian Ubriaco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kerr provides an in-depth survey of the effects of global talent flows and the consequences of (mostly America's) policies in impacting them. The book has an "academic" feel to it which helps to ensure all of Kerr's claims are well-backed with empirical evidence and ample reasoning. If you're at all interested in immigration policy and talent, add this one to your reading list.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Concisely and engagingly covers the research on high-skill immigration (much of which has been done by Kerr himself). Provides a lot of useful detail on the nature of the H-1B visa program and ways it should be improved.

Worthwhile read.

[Jonathan Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know I could rant about this book and it’s subject matter but all I’m gonna say is we live in a country that currently believes that if you’re educated; “you’re woke”🙄 while other people in other countries are learning stem and they’re not “taking the job”; they’re more qualified.