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MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin—The competing agendas of employers
and workers is reflected in parallel surveys by a
leading manpower company, showing 31 percent of
employers worldwide are concerned about the impact on
the labor market from talent leaving their country to
work abroad; and 37 percent of individuals would be
willing to relocate anywhere in the world for a better
career.
The
results of the parallel surveys— a Borderless Workforce
Survey of nearly 28,000 employers across 27 countries
and territories; and a Relocating for Work Survey—were
released Tuesday by Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN), a world
leader in the employment-services industry with annual
revenues of $21 billion. The second survey gathered
responses from more than 31,000 people in 27 individual
labor markets worldwide.
The
Manpower Philippines Relocating for Work survey was
conducted in April 2008 to gauge people’s attitudes and
insights about relocating for employment opportunities,
both within and across the national boarders.
Richard
Evans, Manpower country manager-Philippines, said “the
local survey results revealed 96 percent of respondents
in the Philippines would consider relocating for a job
compared with 85 percent in the other countries surveyed
in Asia-Pacific. Not surprisingly, more than 86
percent of those respondents said they would relocate
for better work opportunities, career advancement and
increased pay.”
Jeffrey
A. Joerres, global chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc.,
said: “As the talent shortage becomes more severe,
employers are naturally concerned about losing
employees—not just to competitors within their own
markets, but to those based overseas, too. Individuals
are now increasingly willing and able to find employment
far from their homes. More people are living and working
away from their home countries than at any other point
in history—about 3 percent of the world’s population.
These are not the one-way migrations of yesteryear.
Talent goes where talent is needed, and we are truly
becoming a global, borderless work force.”
For
white-collar workers, there can be many other factors
influencing the decision to move away from home. Many go
for the adventure, to acquire new skills, or, if they
are moving cross-border, to build valuable new language
and cultural skills. Still others see such moves as fast
paths to accelerate their careers as young
professionals. Often they take on more responsibility
and gain experience and business skills more rapidly
than they ever could do at home,” said Evans. “Employers
experiencing talent shortages in certain positions
should be capitalizing on workers’ willingness to move
and forging stronger partnerships with regional
authorities and with educational institutions in places
where they identify potential talent.” |
