Territorial Review Copenhagen - Region Hovedstaden

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the countries that attract the most high-skilled immigrants, such as the
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, Luxembourg,
Switzerland and Australia. As mentioned above, Denmark has a large
disparity in the unemployment rates of immigrants relative to the nativeborn
population (twice as high). The relatively limited importance of
Copenhagen as a hub for highly skilled workers is illustrated by its ranking
by the number of international offices of the leading 15 global executive
search firms. In 2005, Copenhagen was ranked 11 th among European cities;
and similar-sized northern European cities such as Amsterdam and
Stockholm ranked higher (Faulconbridge and Hall, 2008).
Studies suggest that high taxation and a relatively closed business
culture may be deterrents to highly skilled foreigners. A recent study
concludes that taxation plays an important role in determining where Danish
migrants go and where migrants to Denmark come from (Nielson, 2007).
Another factor that helps attract highly skilled labour is the possibility of
career advancement. Since Copenhagen has a relatively small number of
large internationally oriented companies, fewer career possibilities exist for
internationally oriented foreign workers. Moreover, the corporate world in
Denmark has been observed to exhibit ―small world characteristics‖: a
network of directors of firms closely connected through board affiliation
(Sinani et al., 2008). A study of highly skilled foreign labour found that a
third of the foreign workers in the survey considered that Danes were not
particularly open or accommodating towards them, both in the private and
professional contexts (Oxford Research, 2007).
While there are so far no indications of a brain drain, recent trends give
reason for concern. According to recent studies, the outflow of highly
skilled Danes is balanced by a comparable influx of highly skilled foreigners
(Socialforskningsinstituttet, 2007), and 70% of highly skilled Danes who
leave the country come back within five years (Globalization Committee,
2006). However, the number of Danish temporary workers in the United
States is approaching the total amount of work permits that Denmark gives
out annually. 23 There are indications that more Danish students going abroad
stay abroad, and migration of Danish PhDs is increasing (Villesen, 2008).
Recurring survey results show that approximately 10% of PhDs leave the
country to work abroad within 18 months of earning their degree. PhDs in
natural sciences head the list, with a mobility rate of around 18%. It appears
that PhDs employed abroad return to Denmark after a number of years; on
average only 50% return after five years abroad (OECD, 2005).
Numbers for Copenhagen seem to indicate a small net inflow of
foreigners, although it is not clear whether this presents a brain gain. Over
2000-07, 12 570 foreigners per year on average came directly to the city of
Copenhagen (and Frederiksberg); in the same period, around 11 775 people