Is New England experiencing a "brain drain"?: facts about demographic change and young professionals

Recent news articles and studies have generated concern among New England policy makers and others that the region’s supply of young, highly educated professionals is disappearing. The fear is that comparatively high housing and other costs may be driving away many within this highly mobile group. This paper explores trends in the stocks and flows of young professionals, defined as people 25 to 39 with at least a bachelor’s degree. The goal is to help policy makers better understand this important demographic story, giving them the facts about how various factors, including migration, are affecting the region’s supply of young, educated labor.