Study Abroad and the Impact on the Labor Market

The overarching topic of this paper analyzes study abroad and its impact on the international labor market using different disciplines. The opportunity to study abroad during a student’s time enrolled in a higher education institution is becoming somewhat of a necessary educational and experiential practice nowadays. The idea of student exposure to an international education is wholly aligned with the greater expansion of the labor market and economy into globalized networks. Over the last several decades, the number of higher education students across the globe receiving some part of their university education abroad has been on the rise, positively impacting the international labor market through student migration intentions, standards of employability and the development of global careers, as well as economic determinants. The three main disciplines discussed in this paper include how study abroad impacts the labor market from a social-cultural perspective, business perspective, and economic perspective. Within this paper, the three overarching concepts discussed include; how study abroad increases migration intentions amongst internationally mobile students, how study abroad increases the employability of graduates entering the labor market, and how study abroad programs positively impact the economy of the host countries by driving profitability for local businesses