Australia is the most common destination for individuals seeking work abroad. Germany, which is especially popular among Polish job-seekers, also ranks in the top five. Experts from LiveXP, a language learning platform, highlight how the international labour market has changed and advise on how to adapt to these changes.
Australia is the preferred country for those looking for work abroad
According to the latest “Dream Destinations and Mobility Trends” report prepared by Boston Consulting Group, already 800 million professionals worldwide are actively seeking work abroad.
The destination which enjoyed the greatest popularity among emigrants last year was Australia. It even surpassed Canada, the previous number one. According to the report, Australia attracts with professional opportunities (cited by 68% of respondents), quality of life and climate (54%), as well as attractive earnings and low taxes and living costs (45%).
Countries where English is spoken attract the most talent
Coming second on the BCG list were the United States, followed by Canada, and then the United Kingdom. As many as 66% of respondents admitted that when looking for work abroad, it is important for them that English is the language used in the professional environment. This factor is even more important than the level of earnings (indicated by 52% of people). American and British English language universities also lead in the rankings of the most chosen by foreign students.
As for the cities that are most popular, London takes the win. Almost every tenth person asked where they would be willing to relocate singled out this English capital. The main reason is unsurprising – the opportunity to work in English. A rewarding international environment, earnings and the city’s image of being tolerant of cultural diversity are also significant factors.
“In today’s mobile, digitized world, starting a new life abroad is becoming easier. The only ‘obstacles’ to overcome are the need to learn the language and acclimate. It is therefore not surprising that such a vision is also attractive for Poles ” comments Artem Bushchik, COO of LiveXP. “It is also not surprising that economically strong English-speaking countries lead the list of dream work destinations. They offer many professional opportunities as well as an open, international business culture.”
Spain regains popularity after the pandemic period
Among the European countries in the ranking are also Germany, which came in fifth. Our western neighbors attract with an abundance of job offers, high earnings, and security and technological advancement.
The biggest change compared to previous years is the surprising return of Spain to the list. In a 2018 study, this country took sixth place, but in 2020, after losing its appeal due to the pandemic, it completely disappeared from the list. Now, Spain has returned to favor, pushing up to the tenth place, just behind France (ninth place), Singapore (eighth place), Switzerland (seventh place), and Japan (sixth place).
As respondents indicate – Spain attracts with its climate and quality of life. This answer was given by 75% of immigrants. Almost every second person who has gone there to work emphasized the importance of an open culture. Spain is the only country on the list where these issues are more important than the number of job offers or technological advancement.
Interestingly, according to the report “Moving 2023”, prepared on the basis of Clicktrans’ analysis, it is Germany and Spain – along with the Netherlands – that are the preferred emigration destinations among Poles. Thus, as seen with the new wave of economic emigration, Poles are increasingly competing for jobs abroad.
Knowing English might not be sufficient to succeed abroad
LiveXP experts stress that fluent communication in English these days might often be insufficient to beat the growing competition on foreign labor markets. Knowledge of the business language used in the country to which one is going can prove essential.
According to the Eurobarometer study “Europeans and their languages” from 2023, the opportunity to work abroad is the main reason why Poles learn foreign languages. This motivation is pointed to by half of the respondents. This answer was more frequent than wanting to increase their chances in the Polish labor market (41%), personal satisfaction (35%), or meeting people from other countries (32%).
LiveXP experts confirm that Poles understand well the role of language learning in their career development. German is the second most common foreign language learned by Poles, followed by Spanish. Italian is in fourth place, and French in fifth.
“We also notice that the number of people interested in less common emigration destinations and learning more difficult languages, such as Korean or Chinese, is increasing. Achieving language proficiency allowing for work at an expert level may, in some cases, take up to 2200 hours of practice. In order to make this process easier and more efficient, we offer our students private 1:1 lessons with experienced native speakers, a personal guardian overseeing the entire learning process, and the option to track progress” comments Artem Bushchik.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/australia-najpopularniejszym-kierunkiem-dla-ekspatow-niemcy-glownym-celem-polakow-90176
