2024-08-19
8 分钟The Economist Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here,
co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.
This is Editor's Picks.
You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist read aloud.
Enjoy.
A green card.
Permanent residence in the United States.
The surprising answer is Donald Trump.
Whether he meant it or not, and his record in office suggests not,
his words suggest that even a nativist politician understands at some level that highly skilled foreigners can be useful.
In fact, they are extra useful since their skills tend to complement those of locals.
They bring different experiences, knowledge and contacts,
making local co-workers more productive.
A Harvard study tried to measure this by looking at what happened to researchers when a colleague died.
The loss of an immigrant brain box reduced co-workers' productivity,
measured in patents, by nearly twice as much as the loss of a native.
From this, the study estimated that immigrants in America,
though only 14% of the population, are responsible for a colossal 36% of innovation.
As the globalisation of capital stagnates,
the flow of brains across borders becomes an ever more important way for new ideas to spread.