More than 150,000 workers from 188 countries took part in the international survey conducted in 2023, and their answers revealed that Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany are the most popular destination countries among those looking for work abroad, and among the cities London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New York. Since the previous survey in 2018, Hungary has slipped 18 places in the ranking of popular cities, so in 2023 it will be in 74th place.
Hungarians doubled in five years
At the time of the 2018 survey only 7 percent of Hungarians were actively looking for work abroadthis ratio two years later it was already 9 percent, and 15 percent in 2023 volt.
At the same time, similar to international trends, the number of people willing to work abroad has also increased in Hungary: since the 2020 survey, it has increased globally from 57 to 66 percent, and in Hungary, the proportion of those willing to work for a remote employer has increased from 60 to 67 percent.
According to the survey
financial and economic reasons are the main motivation of those thinking about working abroad: 76 percent of Hungarians (64 percent globally) mentioned this first.
Better quality of life can also be a factor in favor of moving, which is why 72 percent of Hungarians (55 percent globally) would go to work abroad. Globally, 55 percent of respondents and 32 percent of Hungarians mentioned career goals, such as gaining work experience. A much higher proportion (58 percent) of Hungarians than the international average (35 percent) listed better social care and healthcare systems among the reasons for employment abroad.
Every second student winks abroad
In Hungary, students (one in two) are mostly interested in working abroad, a third of those working in the public sector and a quarter of those working in the IT field would work in another country. Hungarians would most likely take up work in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, but the top 10 target countries also include the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Croatia.
Although Hungarians are less open to working abroad than the global average, it is bad news for the Hungarian labor market that those who plan to work abroad are predominantly young and highly educated.
– said BCG partner Ádám Kotsis. It is also unfavorable that, according to their plans, 65 percent of Hungarians would go to work in another country for a long or medium period of time, while globally only 54 percent plan to work abroad for such a period of time.
What is the reason for the attachment to the nugget?
Based on the Hungarian and global responses, most people (54 percent) would not go abroad to work because they would not be able to take their family members and partners with them. Globally, 33 percent and in Hungary 37 percent cited a strong attachment to their native country as the reason for staying, and in Hungary, in addition to these two factors, 43 percent (globally 27 percent) said that the reason for staying was the lack of language skills.
“In our research, we also asked what they expect from their employer if they move abroad to look for a job. The highest proportion of respondents indicated housing support at home (73 percent) and internationally (79 percent). However, while Hungarians expect language support and training in second place (69 percent), in the case of the global sample, this is only in fourth place after visas and work permits, and relocation support,” says Imre Tüzes, business development manager at Profession.hu its director. After practical support and assistance, it is much more important for Hungarians to have a local mentor than the international average: this was mentioned by 54 percent, compared to 39 percent internationally.
Practical questions decide
Globally, job opportunities, quality of life, as well as taxation and living costs are the most important factors in choosing a job abroad. Quality of life is the primary consideration for those looking for work in Hungary, the second is job opportunities, and the third factor is safety and stability. Serbian, Romanian, Austrian, Turkish and Dutch citizens, as well as German, Slovenian, Jordanian, Pakistani and Kenyan citizens, are looking for work in Hungary.
According to the study, it can generally be concluded that those looking for a job abroad do not choose based on the country’s image, but on the basis of the available job opportunities, as well as the recommendations of acquaintances and language skills. Citizens of countries with labor surpluses due to higher birth rates tend to be more mobile than those who live in areas where labor is in short supply. In other words, mobility trends show people moving from growing societies to shrinking societies.
