But his proposals to import more mainland high-tech talent and coordinate with Guangdong province on combating cross-border pollution and developing the Pearl River delta are important first steps.

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Higher-skilled immigrants provide talent that high-tech companies often cannot locate domestically.

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Among consumer web startups and high-tech firms, the talent wars have taken on a new ferocity, yet unemployment remains stuck around 9% and shows few signs of improving.

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"There was not much competition when we started, but that's changed now, " said Ms. Robinson, adding that the company now has to compete against high-tech companies like Google Inc. talent.

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As a result, much of Asia's plentiful high-tech money is sitting idle for lack of talent.

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He pumps billions into university research in places like Ireland and Australia because he believes it creates a skilled workforce and attracts top talent, setting the table for high-tech industry and foreign direct investment.

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Craig Barrett, CEO of high-tech giant Intel, which sponsored the 2000 competition, marveled at the talent.

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The trend of high-tech outsourcing has shown U.S. educators three things: First, talent exists around the world.

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Talent wars on the startup-centric coasts have left tech-savvy employees in high-demand, yet the unemployment rate remains dismally high, even in those areas.

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