brain drain

Or brain-drain

noun

1. a loss of trained professional personnel to another company, nation, etc., that offers greater opportunity.

brain drain

noun

1. informal,  the emigration of scientists, technologists, academics, etc, for better pay, equipment, or conditions

Word History and Origins

Origin of brain drain¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Idioms and Phrases

The departure of educated or talented persons for better pay or jobs elsewhere, as in The repression of free speech in Germany triggered a brain drain to Britain and America. The term originated about 1960, when many British scientists and intellectuals emigrated to the United States for a better working climate.

Example Sentences

Some non-approvals owe to manufacturing problems, but another culprit is an agency brain drain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Unemployment in major cities stands at 35 percent and graduates are looking elsewhere, fuelling a lucrative brain drain market.

Read more on Barron's

"The brain drain will weigh heavily on productivity."

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The more who leave, the better, because the brain drain is going to free up a lot of real estate and help solve the housing crisis.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When you get to a Super Bowl, of course the brain drain occurs.

Read more on BBC