"The Global Competition to Attaract Talent Will Continue" [ESF2025]

[Ji-hyun Ham, Edaily Reporter]“The current number of ‘skilled’ immigrants‘ is relatively low. The competition to attract talent with other countries facing labor shortages will continue.”

Cynthia Miller, Senior Research Fellow at MDRC, emphasized the need to attract skilled immigrants in an interview ahead of the 16th Edaily Strategy Forum, which will be held on June 18~19. She argued that foreign immigration policy should not be approached merely as a way to fill low-wage jobs, but as a population strategy to overcome low birth rates and an aging society. On the 19th, she will give a presentation on the importance of scientifically designed immigration policy at the “Edaily-PERI (Policy Evaluation Research Institute) Special Symposium” at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul.

Cynthia Miller, Senior Research Fellow at MDRC (Photo: MDRC)

“Immigration policy needs redefining in population strategy”

Miller emphasized, “Immigration policy should be considered a strategic alternative in all countries facing population decline and aging, including Korea. It should be redefined as part of the national population strategy.”

She suggested that policies should include △expanding quotas for skilled workers, △creating pathways to permanent residency for unskilled workers, and △reforming the Employment Permit System (EPS) to support mobility between employers and improvement of job skills.

She noted, “To expand overall immigration, it is necessary to increase both skilled and unskilled immigration. However, the number of skilled immigrants remains relatively low.” She advised, “Policies to encourage skilled immigration will only be effective if they are accompanied by systems that support actual social integration and stable employment.”

The term ‘skilled’ here is broader than ‘professional’ as defined by the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations. It can include everyone from managers to equipment/machine operators and assemblers?in other words, those in professional or technical jobs, generally distinguished from simple laborers.

Regarding policy directions to overcome low birth rates, she said, “A more realistic approach may be to help older workers remain in the labor market longer.” She explained, “Low birth rates are a challenge faced by most advanced countries today, and there has not yet been a successful case of reversing this trend. In Korea, policies that reduce various ‘costs’ of raising children may help families, but it is difficult to expect a significant increase in birth rates as a result.” She added, “Now the focus should shift to accepting and supporting immigrants as future citizens. As the need for population settlement in rural areas grows, policies to promote migration should also be reconsidered.”

As for examples of successful responses to population decline through immigration, she said, “Expanding immigration remains a difficult task, as negative perceptions of immigrants have been spreading in many countries recently,” but cited Canada and the United States as examples.

According to her, Canada has actively attracted immigrants for economic growth, especially focusing on skilled workers, and has made social integration easier by emphasizing multiculturalism. She also noted, “In rural areas of the United States, there was initial opposition to immigrant influx, but as population and the economy regained vitality over time, immigrants began to be viewed more positively. Such changes are possible when policies and support systems help immigrants settle into new cultures and communities.”

“Rigorous research informs population policy”

“Rigorous Research-Based Decisions Are Essential for Population and Immigration Policy”

Miller advised that decisions in immigration policy must be based on precise research. She pointed out, “Governments often implement policies without clear evidence of their actual effects. They try to measure effectiveness by comparing outcomes before and after implementation, but this approach loses reliability when there are simultaneous external factors.” She stressed, “Evidence-based policy decisions that can clearly identify causal relationships are always important, and especially essential for population and immigration policies, which are major challenges for all countries.”

She also noted, “Alternatives may entail significant costs, so it is desirable to focus limited resources on policies whose effectiveness has been proven.”

In the field of immigration, areas where Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) could be applied include: △institutional reforms to expand immigration, △creating pathways to permanent residency, △policies to help immigrant social integration, and △incentives to encourage relocation outside major cities. RCTs compare a group that receives a new policy with a control group that does not.

About Cynthia Miller, Senior Research Fellow at MDRC

She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at MDRC in the United States. Her research focuses on policies to increase employment and income for low-wage workers and vulnerable youth.