Study: Highly educated returning migrant men earn more than the comparison population

Press release of The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health 17.3.2025

A comprehensive population-based register survey by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health demonstrated that the income level and its development were at a higher level among highly educated male returnees than in the comparison population of the same age. In women, there was very little difference between the groups. The results were most evident in male-dominated sectors such as industry, construction, sales and finance. 

 "Employers in these sectors seem to value international experience. Women, on the other hand, work more often in sectors where the opportunities for salary negotiations are more limited," says Minna Toivanen, Senior Specialist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Time spent abroad increases human capital, such as knowledge, skills, competence and networks, which can be thought to increase an organisation’s productivity and otherwise bring added value to the organisation.

It has also been observed that men are more active and confident in negotiating higher wages, which may partially explain gender pay gaps within industries.

Returnee men are more likely to integrate into work life than women

The study showed that returnee men integrated better into work life after their return compared with women. In the year following their return, nearly one in five (19%) of remigrant women were outside work life, while only 11% of the comparison population of the same age were outside work life.  The corresponding figures for men were lower at 14% and 9%.

“The weaker labour market position of returnee women and the large share of parents of young children indicate that it is still more common for women with higher education to move back due to their spouses’ work or for other family reasons compared with men” says Toivanen.

In addition, women often still have more responsibility for family care obligations, which may impede their ability to fully put to use the added value of their experience abroad in their careers.

Moving to another country is usually temporary among the highly educated — brain drain from Finland is less common than expected

Most highly educated people return to Finland, and they tend to stay abroad for a fairly short period of time. Only 5% of women and 3% of men had been abroad for more than 10 years. Previous studies have shown that the most important reasons for returning are close friends and family or the desire to live in Finland. Many people value Finnish nature, safety and the level of social security, such as family leave and the education system.

Most returnees come from Sweden (22% of women, 20% of men). Although we live in a global world, only a few highly educated returnees came to Finland from outside Europe. Only the United States ranked among the top 10 most common source countries for both women and men.

"For Finland, it could be desirable for it to be even more common for our highly educated population to spend periods of time in foreign countries and cultures, and to then return with new ways of thinking and networks. This human capital could enrich both jobs and work life in general," says Research Professor Ari Väänänen from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Study

• The study "Korkeakoulutetut Suomessa syntyneet paluumuuttajat ja heidän sijoittumisensa työmarkkinoille" (Highly educated returnees born in Finland and their placement in the labour market) examined who highly educated returnees are and how they are placed in the labour market after their return, using nationally representative data compiled by Statistics Finland.
• In 2023, a total of 8,763 people moved abroad from Finland and 7,123 Finnish citizens moved to Finland. The number of Finnish citizens who emigrated was highest among 25–34-year-olds (2,740 people) and 15–24-year-olds (1,997 people). Immigration of Finnish citizens was also highest among 25–34-year-olds (1,773 people).
• Of the highly educated returnees, 49 per cent were women and 51 per cent were men, compared to 55 per cent and 45 per cent in the comparison population. A large part of returnees lived alone (39% women, 33% men).
• The research was funded by the LIFECON project of the Strategic Research Council’s DEMOGRAPHY programme. The Strategic Research Council operates in connection with the Academy of Finland.

Articles

Toivanen, M, Airaksinen, J, Varje, P, Turunen, J, Koskinen, A. & Väänänen, A. (2025) Time spent abroad as a source of human capital – A nationwide study. International Migration, 63, e70011.

Toivanen, M, Airaksinen, J, Varje, P, Koskinen, A. & Väänänen, A. (2025) Korkeakoulutetut Suomessa syntyneet paluumuuttajat ja heidän sijoittumisensa työmarkkinoille. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 90 (1), 20—33. YP 1/25: Korkeakoulutetut paluumuuttajat työmarkkinoilla - YP-lehti

Additional information

Minna Toivanen, Senior Specialist, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, tel. +358 (0)43 824 4506, minna.toivanen@ttl.fi

Ari Väänänen, Research Professor, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, tel. +358 50 511 0530, ari.vaananen@ttl.fi