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Highly skilled labour mobility, skills shortages and immigration policy in Britain and Germany

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Ökonomie als Grundlage politischer Entscheidungen

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Abstract

Concern exists in many countries over problems of shortages of highly skilled personnel, particularly in science and technology. Britain and Germany, for example, are currently experiencing shortages of Information and Communications Technology skills which could limit productivity growth and innovation. Both countries have taken steps to liberalise their immigration policies as one means of alleviating these shortages. This has proved controversial, especially in view of the simultaneous rise in the numbers of asylum-seekers across the European Union which is placing strains on the ability of countries to assimilate immigrants. Some commentators have argued that using immigration to address skill shortages is at best only a short-term solution to shortages which should instead be addressed by an increased emphasis on training, education and possibly labour market reform.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Westminster, London, UK

    Stefan Kramer & J. R. Shackleton

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  1. Stefan Kramer
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  2. J. R. Shackleton
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Jürgen Gabriel Michael Neugart

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© 2001 Leske + Budrich, Opladen

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Kramer, S., Shackleton, J.R. (2001). Highly skilled labour mobility, skills shortages and immigration policy in Britain and Germany. In: Gabriel, J., Neugart, M. (eds) Ökonomie als Grundlage politischer Entscheidungen. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-97554-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-97554-6_5

  • Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-8100-3317-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-322-97554-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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