There is also evidence of brain drain, with an estimated 350 000 Malaysians working abroad in 2008, over half of whom had tertiary education. In 2000, only 8.9% of the regional population had achieved tertiary level education. The economy has depended on importing labour from throughout Malaysia as well as from other countries. Within the Northern Corridor Economic Region, the State of Penang has a better educated population than the other three states, but in international comparison Penang is a low-skilled region. While there is a push to move to a high-skill, high-wage economy, Penang remains dependent on low-skill industries and occupations.