Decoding Global Talent 2024: Almost a quarter of workers worldwide are looking to move abroad for work
Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group) and the Boston Consulting Group have partnered again for the Global Talent Survey – one of the largest workforce surveys in the world. Drawing insights from 150,000 workers in 188 countries, the first report Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends in the series decodes international mobility trends of workers.
Every couple of years, the Global Talent Survey deep-dives into global mobility trends, the priorities of international talent and the top cities that attract them to live and work. Produced by Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group) and the Boston Consulting Group, it’s one of the largest workforce surveys in the world.
The first report of the series, Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends, draws on insights from 150,000 workers in 188 countries to explore where people will move for work and why – plus how employers can tap into these global talent streams to hire the skilled people they need.
Key findings from Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends
- The UK climbed one place up the rankings to be the 4th most attractive country in the world for work; following English speaking countries that lead the list overall.
- London retains its title as the most attractive city in the world for global talent for the fifth time.
- 63% of international talent are willing to relocate for work, of which 1 in 6 say the UK is in their top three dream destinations.
- 71% say they would move to the UK for the quality of job opportunities, and 58% cite quality of life as a top reason.
- Top ways employers can help talent relocate are helping with visa and work permit arrangements (85%), housing (84%) and providing general relocation support (76%).
Where is talent moving to the UK from?
Starting from the 2000s, the migration trends in the UK show a shift from EU migrants to migrants arriving from Asian and African countries. Brexit has contributed to this trend, due to EU migrants leaving – especially after 2020.
However, over the course of two years ranging from late 2021 to mid-2023, the UK has seen more than 1.2 million arrivals. While workers coming from European countries worked in industries like hospitality and transportation, new migrants typically work in industries such as healthcare, legal, science and tech.
These trends are reflected in the Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends report, as the top countries where people are willing to move to the UK for work are:
- Ghana (38%)
- Nigeria (32%)
- Uganda (29%)
- Kenya (28%)
- Pakistan (25%)
- Hong Kong (23%)
- South Africa (18%)
- Australia (16%)
- Portugal and Republic of Ireland (both 15%)
- Malaysia (14%)
And talent listing the UK in their top 3 destinations work in:
- Science and Research (15.3%)
- Financial Institutions & Media (both 14%)
- Legal (13.3%)
- Technology and IT (13.2%)
- Travel and Tourism (12.8%)
This list shows that the UK remains a hub for science, finance, technology and law.
With just under a million vacancies and a low unemployment rate, the UK has a tight labour market that makes international talent pools key for some industries. In fact, the top reason for talent to move to the UK is the quality of job opportunities (71%).
Employers can tap into these talent pools to grow their workforce and plug skills and labour gaps.
The top 10 countries for work in 2024
As mentioned, English speaking countries continue to lead the list overall, followed by several European countries and key Asian destinations like Japan and Singapore.
| Top countries for work 2024 | Top countries for work 2021 | Top countries for work 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | Canada | USA |
| 2 | USA | USA | Germany |
| 3 | Canada | Australia | Canada |
| 4 | UK | Germany | Australia |
| 5 | Germany | UK | UK |
| 6 | Japan | Japan | Spain |
| 7 | Switzerland | Switzerland | France |
| 8 | Singapore | Singapore | Switzerland |
| 9 | France | France | Italy |
| 10 | Spain | New Zealand | Japan |
Spain recently climbed up the ranks, especially becoming attractive to respondents from European and Latin American countries.
The top 10 cities for work in 2024
For the fifth time in a row, London tops the list of cities for work in 2024 due to language and an exceptional global network.
Other UK cities, Edinburgh (#53) Birmingham (#58), Belfast (#79) and Glasgow (#83) also made it to the top 100.
London’s enduring popularity as a destination for work is great news for the UK. It’s encouraging to see that British employers can continue to attract the best talent from the global workforce, in part due to London’s long-standing reputation as a multicultural hub for international trade and its strong employment offering. This said, there’s still work to do in remedying labour shortages in key industries, particularly social care, logistics, and hospitality.
Sebastian DettmersCEO of The Stepstone Group
| Top cities for work 2024 | Top cities for work 2021 | Top cities for work 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | London | London |
| 2 | Amsterdam | Amsterdam | New York |
| 3 | Dubai | Dubai | Berlin |
| 4 | Abu Dhabi | Berlin | Barcelona |
| 5 | New York City | Abu Dhabi | Amsterdam |
| 6 | Berlin | Tokyo | Dubai |
| 7 | Singapore | Singapore | Los Angeles |
| 8 | Barcelona | New York | Paris |
| 9 | Tokyo | Barcelona | Sydney |
| 10 | Sydney | Sydney | Tokyo |
Top reasons for talent wanting to move to the UK for work are:
- Quality of job opportunities (71%)
- Quality of life (58%)
- Safety, stability and security (44%)
- Income, tax and cost of living (37%)
- Welcoming culture and inclusiveness (36%)
- Opportunities for citizenship, Innovation and digitalisation (both 33%)
- Healthcare (31%)
- Family-friendly environment (29%)
- Visa and work permit process (24%)
How skills and labour shortages changed immigration in the UK
It’s clear that the UK upholds its reputation as a dream destination for talent, and employers can leverage this to attract international workers. At the same time, a country’s likelihood of attracting international candidates is tied to its immigration policies and visa rules.
Visa and work permit assistance is the top support that talent wants, with 85% of those willing to move to the UK citing they’d require it from their employer. This is followed by housing (84%) and general relocation support (76%). As the UK has been struggling with skills and labour shortages, the government introduced a visa type called ‘skilled worker visa’ to target specific occupations. Currently, the shortage Occupation List includes professions such as scientists, designers, solicitors, barristers, lab technicians, financial advisors, cyber security professionals and more.
However, recent changes to minimum salary requirements will make it more difficult for smaller companies and companies in sectors with lower pay to attract workers from abroad. Moreover, it will also disadvantage regions in the UK where earnings are lower.
The world’s most important economies are facing a major challenge: the great people shortage. This looming gap in the global labour market is primarily due to declining birth rates and mismatches between job supply and demand. However, the rise and normalisation of global remote working will help to expand the available talent pool, which looks set to benefit employers, governments, and workers alike.
Those employers looking to make the most of the global enthusiasm shown by talent to embrace mobility opportunities should consider how their business can stem skills shortages by opening new talent pools, which in turn will bring additional advantages, such as reduced relocation and payroll costs, and improved diversity. There’s also an upside for workers, who’ll be able to advance their careers more easily without having to uproot their lives and their families
Sebastian DettmersCEO of The Stepstone Group
Unlock the full insights from Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends
Read the first report, Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends, in our Decoding Global Talent series to learn more about what attracts global talent to move, their expectations around relocation and how employers can boost their efforts to attract professionals from around the world.
Reach world-class talent with Global Hiring
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