Abstract
The risk of deskilling is real for a large majority of migrant works in the Central and Eastern European region. Pushed by high unemployment in regions of origin a number of migrants seek out employment opportunities wherever they may be irrespective of the fact that it may lead to deskilling.
Among educated migrants residing in the Czech Republic we find that deskilling is relatively uncommon, although employment in complementary sectors or where skill transferability is possible does occur often. Findings presented here indicate that European degree holders benefit from the transferability of skills whereas holders of degrees from outside of the EU are far more likely to be employed in sectors related to their specific skill set.
The relevance of theories of human capital formation, segmentation of labour markets and economic rationalizations for migration are questioned as a result of findings in relation to educated migrants employed in the Czech Republic.