Economic Migration

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Economic migration has been understood and defined as a choice to move in hopes to improve the standard of living by gaining a better paid job (Bbc.co.uk, 2016). One thing constant in the world is change and the world is ever changing. The reality of the economic changes within the past few years have caused large movements of people within and across national borders. Following the push and pull factor theory for migration, economic migration is driven predominantly by pull factors and some help from push factors. Whereby economic opportunities and benefits pull or entice migrant workers to move to their particular nation destination. These pull factors like higher wages, better working conditions, better employment opportunities, with the …show more content…

From 1971 to 1975, average underemployment rate constituted 11.72% of the labor force. Coincidentally, the Middle East oil boom in the same period provided the impetus for skilled and semi-skilled labor to migrate to other countries. This wave of migration from the Philippines persists to this day with much of the flow in recent years directed towards the East and Southeast Asia like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore as they became economic powerhouses in the 80s and the 90s. As overseas employment grew, the type of occupations shifted from construction work and engineering services to domestic work, tourism jobs, healthcare, communications technology and a host of other expertise (Ang, 2008). The lack of development in Philippines causes a domino effect for the public as the government is unable to support its nation. The philippines now face low standard of living and high unemployment rate. The effects of the lack of development in Philippines effects all different groups of people and also leaving a large income gap between them. The skilled doctors are unable to properly practice as they are not provided proper utensils and opportunities to learn, in return the patients in need of treatment are unable to receive the health care they require as all the skilled doctors have migrated away for better opportunities. As the number of medical professionals in the Philippines decreases, so has the local wage rate. According to Macaranas, Filipino hospital administrators are keen to avoid over-investing in doctors and nurses that are likely to emigrate. As a result, wages are low and employees see the hospitals as stepping-stones to higher paying jobs overseas. More than 200 hospitals have closed in the Philippines in the last five years (Hennessy, 2016). The unskilled

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