U.S. Continues to Be a Top Destination for International Workers: New Global Workforce Study from Appcast and Boston Consulting Group

A global survey of more than 150,000 respondents in 188 countries reveals the desire to work in the U.S. increased since 2020, with New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. ranking as the most desired U.S. cities

LEBANON, N.H., April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Appcast, the global leader in recruitment marketing technology and services, today announced findings from the "Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations and Mobility Trends" report published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network, The Stepstone Group and Appcast. The fourth global study on international mobility trends, this year's report reveals one in four professionals globally are actively seeking employment abroad, with the U.S. continuing to be a top destination for international workers.

The U.S. Continues to Be a Top Destination

The 2024 report finds that working abroad remains a dream for many people worldwide, with 23% of professionals actively seeking jobs in other countries, and 63% expressing a willingness to do so. Younger people and people from countries with fast-growing populations are the most interested in moving overseas.

In this year's report, the first since 2021, the U.S. retains the number two position as the most attractive destination for international workers; Australia moves up to first from third; Canada falls to third from first. International employees said they selected Australia as the overall top destination for "quality of job opportunities" (68%), "quality of life" (61%) and "income, tax and cost of living" (45%). The U.K. ranks fourth in this year's report. English-speaking countries with strong economies secured the top four spots.

The desire to work in major U.S. cities also increased in 2024: New York City improved its ranking to number five from number eight in 2021; Los Angeles held steady at number 12 from 2021; Washington D.C. significantly advanced in its ranking to number 20 from number 34 in 2021.

Quality of Job Opportunities and Life Make U.S. a Top Destination

Workers from regions with a labor surplus, owing to higher birth rates, tend to be more mobile than those who live in areas where the labor force is shrinking. The report finds workers in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Mexico are the most willing to move to the U.S. for employment. Top reasons cited for choosing the U.S. are "quality of job opportunities" (77%), "quality of life" (56%), "income, tax and cost of living" (47%) and "innovation and digitalization" (43%). The survey also asked respondents what inspires them to accept a job offer in the U.S., revealing 62% said "personal contact with future manager," followed by "being open to negotiation" (57%), "detailed information about the country" (51%) and "contact with relocation expert" (51%). International professionals in the technology and IT industry are most interested in relocating to the U.S. for work (24%). Other industries that topped the list were science and research (21%), telecommunications (21%), financial institutions (20%) and media (20%).

"Other countries can be a great source of talent. But establishing a channel of workers from abroad requires employers to fundamentally overhaul how they recruit, relocate and integrate talent," said Jens Baier, managing director, senior partner and leader of BCG's work in HR excellence. "They may have to challenge their own biases and look for talent in markets and regions that they had not previously considered. Governments also play a strong enabling role in this process. They must establish policies, incentives and frameworks that help employers bring in the talent they need. Employers and nations that tap into such positive energy from the millions of workers with mobile aspirations will gain a major competitive advantage and source of growth."

Remote International Work Provides Opportunities for U.S. Employers

For both U.S. and international workers, the willingness to work remotely for foreign employers increased, showing a strong interest in virtual employment: 55% of U.S. workers are willing to work remotely for a foreign employer, increasing from 51% in 2021; 78% of international employees expressed interest in working remotely for American companies, increasing from 57% in 2021.    

"As we've seen with many advanced economies in the post-Covid era, immigration and remote work present significant opportunities for employers to fill open roles amid global labor shortages," said Andrew Flowers, chief economist at Appcast. "For U.S. employers, the findings of this report help to highlight pockets of talent where you can reach an attractive pool of workers. Understanding the motivations of those workers allows you to tailor your recruiting strategy to achieve a match that is better for both the employer and the job seeker."

To download the "Decoding Global Talent 2024" report visit, click here.

About the Survey
BCG, The Network (together with its affiliate organizations) and The Stepstone Group conducted this anonymous, online survey from October through December 2023. All told, 150,735 people in 188 countries participated. The data on U.S. and Canadian workers was obtained by Appcast, The Network's exclusive U.S. partner.

The survey elicited workers' attitudes on various topics, including their willingness to move abroad for work, the countries they would most like to work in, their reasons for choosing those countries, and their expectations of their future employers in a new country. The data gathered in the survey (including a wide range of information on participants' demographic and professional backgrounds) made it possible to analyze workers' attitudes on the basis of multiple parameters.

BCG also conducted follow-up interviews with select study participants around the world?many of whom were interviewed before and have been followed for several years.

About Appcast
Appcast is the global leader in recruitment marketing technology and services. In July 2023, Appcast acquired Bayard Advertising, a pioneer in the recruitment marketing space. With advanced technology, unmatched market data and a team of the industry's best recruitment marketers, Appcast's technology and services drive hiring outcomes for more than 2,000 clients. Appcast is headquartered in Lebanon, N.H. with offices throughout North America and Europe. Appcast is a subsidiary of The Stepstone Group, a leading digital recruitment platform that connects companies with the right talent and helps people find the right job. To learn more, visit http://www.appcast.io and follow on X @appcast_io.

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders?empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

Media Contact

Michiko Morales, Gabriel Marketing Group (for Appcast), 202-805-2345, [email protected] 

SOURCE Gabriel Marketing Group (for Appcast)