Future State Attractiveness Amidst Political Economic Uncertainty: Building a Conceptual Framework of Young Talent Migration Intentions from a Public Policy Perspective

Abstract

Increasing political and economic uncertainty (Political-Economic Uncertainty) has become one of the main challenges for countries in retaining quality young talent amidst increasingly fierce global competition. Most previous studies explain migration intentions through the push-pull factor approach, human capital theory, and institutional quality. However, these perspectives still focus on the actual conditions of a country and do not adequately explain how individual perceptions of the country's future prospects influence the migration decisions of the younger generation. Therefore, this article aims to develop the conceptual construct of Future State Attractiveness as a new perspective in public policy studies to explain the relationship between political-economic uncertainty and the migration intentions of young talent. This study uses a conceptual paper approach through a systematic literature synthesis on migration theory, governance, public policy, and talent mobility behavior. The synthesis results in the Future State Attractiveness Framework (FSAF) which positions Future State Attractiveness as a high-level multidimensional construct formed by six main dimensions, namely: Governance Confidence, Policy Predictability, Economic Opportunity, Career Mobility, Innovation Ecosystem, and Future Quality of Life. The proposed conceptual framework explains that increasing political-economic uncertainty tends to lower perceptions of a country's future attractiveness, which ultimately increases the migration intentions of young talent. Theoretically, this article contributes by expanding the migration literature through an integration of public policy and governance perspectives, while introducing Future State Attractiveness as a new construct to explain talent retention in an era of global uncertainty. From a practical perspective, this framework offers a conceptual basis for governments in designing policies that not only enhance economic competitiveness but also strengthen the younger generation's confidence in their country's future