LIMITING BRAIN DRAIN IN ALASKA: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Abstract

Alaska currently faces a growing brain drain problem, with consistent outmigration of its youngest and most educated residents. Left unaddressed, this poses a serious threat to Alaska’s economy, undermining sectors such as healthcare, law, education, and engineering. This paper argues that some reasons for brain drain are rooted in uncontrollable factors such as geography and climate, but are significantly compounded by legislative failures in addressing factors that are controllable through policy change. Alaska currently ranks last in graduate students per capita, wages for high-need individuals fail to compensate for the high cost of living, and Alaska maintains elevated standards for certain professional certifications despite a shortage of workers in these areas. Drawing on case studies from states and countries around the world, this paper proposes a fiscally responsible policy agenda, costing less than 0.1% of Alaska’s Permanent Fund, capable of meaningfully reducing brain drain.