Boston Consulting Group: Top 10 countries to work in
The US is the most attractive country for expats to move to, followed by the UK and Canada, concludes a report by The Boston Consulting Group and The Network. The research also shows that people living in the US and UK are the least eager to work abroad.
With the number of expats growing, The Boston Consulting Group and online recruitment specialist The Network researched the mobility and employment preferences of more than 200,000 job seekers in 189 countries and listed their results in the ‘Decoding Global Talent’ report. The vast majority of the participants live in Europe and the Americas, with the largest percentages coming from Germany, followed by Mexico, and the US.
The research reveals that almost two thirds of the respondents (63.8%) is willing to move to a foreign country and to work abroad. The UK is found in the list of countries with people the least eager to move abroad, the same holds true for the US, which can partially be explained by the fact that London and New York are the most appealing cities for expats, with Paris closing the top 3. France fis placed on the other side of the spectrum with a percentage of more than 90% willing to move abroad. Although the percentage of people willing to become an expat is particularly high in countries that are still developing economically or experiencing political instability, also the Netherlands and Australia face a high willigness to move abroad.
Looking at the preferred locations for expats to start their new career, the US comes out on top with almost 42%, followed by the UK with 37%, and Canada with 35%. Not very surprising, according to BCG, as English is the most frequently taught second language. Germany is the highest ranked non-English speaking country, followed by Switzerland, both German speaking countries. The rest of the top 10 is formed by European countries, with the exception of Australia that is found on #7 with 28%.
The US has a strong appeal for workers in impoverished nations, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Looking at G20 countries, the US is popular among Mexicans, the UK, France, India, and China. Of which the latter three are also positively disposed toward the UK, African workers are also willing to move to the UK as they see it as a country of opportunity. Looking at Canada that is still bilingual with French alongside English, 59% of the French stated they would consider working in the country. Canada is also found attractive by Mexicans, Saudi Arabians, and Britons.
