Real and potential emigration of former Erasmus students from Slovenia

Milena Bevc, Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana
Marko Ogorevc, Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana

This paper is based on the research project “Migration in Slovenia as a development factor for the country and its regions”, which was carried out in 2010-2013 by the Institute for Economic Research in Ljubljana. The paper develops a systematic analysis of the size and characteristics of both real and potential emigration among one segment of Slovene youth (former Erasmus students) during a time of deep economic crisis in the country (2011/2012). This analysis is based on a survey of former Erasmus students of generations 2005-2010, carried out at year-end 2011 and in early 2012. It also contains a comparison of results for former Erasmus students of 1999-2004, obtained in a similar survey carried out in 2004. In 2011/2012, 5,171 persons were surveyed (81 % of total Erasmus population in the statistical sense) with 2,763 (53 %) responding. In 2004, 1,100 persons were surveyed (69 % of population) with 423 (38 %) responding. For real and potential emigration the size of the phenomenon is presented and characteristics of migrant groups are compared to the same for non-migrants; the size of emigration is also estimated for the total population of former Erasmus students analysed. Main conclusion is, that there was a higher percentage of potential work emigrants, job seekers and recipients of job offers abroad among Erasmus students of 2005-2010 compared to those of 1999-2004. In the realised sample of Erasmus students of 2005-2010 (2,763 persons) the following size of emigration was recorded: 1,515 (55 %) potential work emigrants and 469 persons (17 %), who were, at the time of the survey, abroad for employment or other reasons (the stock of total real emigration). Long-term emigrants (abroad for more than three years) comprise 44 % of the total in the first group, and marginally less than one-third in the second group.