Why Do Hungarian Health Workers Migrate? A Micro-Level Analysis

Abstract

The sustainability of healthcare systems is challenged by the international migration of health workers in many countries. Like other Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, a great number of health professionals from Hungary have emigrated recently, increasing the shortage of health workers in the country. The aim of this study is to explore the migration attitudes of Hungarian health workers, applying a micro-level approach of push–pull factors. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with practicing and inactive Hungarian health professionals living in Hungary and abroad. The interviews were subjected to a thematic analysis, and the following groups of factors were revealed and discussed: wealth and income, workplace, human capital, quality of life, family, personal network, and personality. In addition, geography and life stage (life course) as two overarching, integrative categories are also discussed. The results point to the role of income, work environment, and family in migration decisions. As a new factor, the importance of geographical characteristics (local context, distance) is also explored, which has received less attention in previous studies. A novelty of our study is the CEE post-socialist point of view, mirrored by the life-path elements of the interviews. Another novelty is the qualitative and micro-level approach, forming the basis of policy recommendations presented at the end of our study.