London remains the most desirable city in the world as a work destination but the UK as a whole has fallen from second to fifth place in a major global survey.

Germany increasingly popular for relocation

Germany has overtaken the UK and is now only behind the US as a work destination, according to a survey of 366,000 workers and 500 recruitment companies in 197 countries, conducted by management consultants Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network, a global alliance of more than 50 recruitment websites.The report said that people’s willingness to move abroad for work had fallen by almost seven per cent since the last survey four years ago, although it still meant 57 per cent of respondents said they would be prepared to relocate.BCG said the survey took place against a backdrop of heightened debate over immigration and trade in many countries. “Those debates appear to have influenced respondents’ thinking about many traditional work destinations, causing some destinations to increase in popularity and others to diminish.”

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The survey noted that Germany’s rise to the number two spot came at a time when other European countries had increasing concerns about migration. “This has cast Germany, with its relative openness, in a more favourable light and boosted it over its European rivals in the rankings. Germany is now three places ahead of the UK, five places ahead of France, six places ahead of Switzerland, and seven places ahead of Italy.”Rainer Strack, senior partner at BCG and one of the authors of the report, commented, “Germany is turning into a real talent magnet. Its number two overall ranking tells only part of the story.“Germany is also number two for people under 30, people with master’s degrees and doctorates, and people with digital expertise. These are cohorts that every country wants and that are particularly important in Germany because of the demographic challenge of an ageing population.”Additionally, Berlin has now risen to third favourite city as a work destination, behind London and New York.“Making a decision to pursue work in a new country is very personal,” said Mike Booker, managing director of The Network and a co-author of the report. “But there are larger forces too, including uncertainty about future government policy.“Interestingly, we have found that cities can have brands that stand apart from their country’s brand, and this is what we have seen in the UK. While uncertainty in the UK may have been one of the reasons the country dropped in popularity among international workers, London continues to be the first choice city for talent worldwide.”

Global developing cities

The survey found cities outside the West were beginning to attract more attention with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong all increasing in popularity since the 2014 study.As for the popularity of relocating, the survey found some markedly different trends. In China, for example, mobility was favoured by 61 respondents four years ago, but is down to 33 per cent now. And sentiment in Poland, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania was also found to have fallen below the mobility average after having been above it by wide margins in 2014.“And demonstrating the complex dynamics of mobility, the study also identified roughly a half-dozen highly populous countries where people are actually more interested in going abroad for work now than they were four years ago,” said BCG.“People in India and Brazil are in this category. So are people in the US and the UK, where the greater openness to emigration may itself have a geopolitical component.”The survey also found that, when it came to relocating, workers globally put emphasis on good relationships with colleagues and on issues surrounding work-life balance, rather than simply remuneration.Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory 

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