Brain drain in Fiji is creating skill gaps and is now an emerging concern, states the Asian Development Bank in its April Economic Outlook.
The ADB says as Fiji recovers from the COVID pandemic, steadily increasing emigration of skilled labour poses a challenge. As of mid 2019, more than 222,000 Fiji-born people, equal to a quarter of the population of Fiji, resided abroad, 95 per cent of them in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the US, said the ADB.
“While emigration boosted remittances, which play a critical role in stabilizing Fiji’s external position and providing a safety net to Fijians, consequent brain drain exacerbates skill gaps and is an emerging concern,” stated the ADB.
“Fiji’s access to labour mobility schemes in Australia and New Zealand has increased the emigration of skilled labour.”
The ADB said of 34,000 Pacific workers employed in a labour scheme in either Australia or New Zealand in mid 2022, about 3300 were from Fiji.
“The pace of emigration from Fiji has left many businesses understaffed, especially as many emigrants leave on short notice after having secured work visas.
“Emigration has affected in particular restaurants with an exodus of chefs and serving staff, health-care providers with the resignation of 800 nurses last year, and tourism businesses, which lost 16,000 workers to emigration last year.
“The ramping up of overseas recruitment has coincided with Fiji’s reopening and recovery, when it can least afford to be short of labour.”
The ADB states, in the short term training can strengthen labour market mobility and resilience.
“Over the long term, responsibility to train workers can extend beyond businesses and may involve the governments of both source and recipient countries.
“Governments should consider how to collaborate to train labour migrants and their replacements in the source countries education and training policies and systems must align with labour market demand in growth sectors and occupations.
“Emigration must be addressed to sustain Fiji’s economic recovery.”
