The Czech Republic, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Canada, Quebec, Qatar, Taiwan, Norway, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and the United States are just some of the countries hiring foreign talent more or less openly. However, traditionally conservative Japan and South Korea do not communicate extensively on their expat recruitment policies, unlike Canada, Quebec and the United States.
These different countries have something in common: a low unemployment rate and relatively similar sectors under strain (health, advanced technologies, e-commerce, finance, etc.). The Czech Republic has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union, with 2.8% in July 2021. For the same period, China, Germany and the United States respectively had an unemployment rate of 5, 5.7, and 5.9%. Australia also has a low unemployment rate (4.9%) for the first time in more than a decade. Unemployment rates were below 5% in Taiwan (3.8%), the United Kingdom (4.8%), Malaysia (3.8%), Switzerland (2.8% in June), Japan (3 % in May), and South Korea also (4.6% in April). According to the International Labor Office (ILO), these countries are in full employment with an unemployment rate below 5%. Although analysis by reading the unemployment rate alone is just one of the indicators of a country's economic health, a low rate induces a certain economic dynamism. Still, higher unemployment rates - 9% in Israel; 7.3% in the United Arab Emirates; 6.3% in Quebec; 7.8% in Canada - do not prevent a country from hiring foreign labour.
Which sectors are hiring?
Healthcare
Healthcare is undoubtedly one of the most critical sectors since the Covid-19 crisis has shaken health systems that were already suffering. As a result, many positions are waiting to be filled in the medical and paramedical sectors, at all levels: nurses, doctors, paramedics, specialized surface technicians, personal services, etc. Germany, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Japan or the Czech Republic are some of the countries recruiting in the medical sector.
In Quebec, there is a high demand for nurses, clinical nurses, ambulance attendants, chiropractors, dentists and nutritionists. Other provinces in Canada are also looking for nurses, psychiatric nurses, nursing aides, orderlies, and housekeepers. Besides, there is a great demand for surface technicians in all places that are open to the public and in workplaces (private companies, administrations, shops, educational buildings, etc.)
In Germany, the pandemic has also accelerated the needs. According to the Der deutschen Wirtschaft Institute, the country risks a shortage of more than 300,000 nurses within 15 years if measures are not taken urgently. Germany is also facing new demographic challenges due to an ageing population. In 2019, the country had a little over 83 million inhabitants, especially thanks to massive immigration in 2015. However, the ageing population and the current pandemic bring new needs. Emergency departments are under pressure, with geriatrics and intensive care being particularly exposed fields. The country is also looking for laboratory assistants and virologists.
There is a similar trend in the United States, the Czech Republic and Japan, where there is a strong demand for nurses and carers. Note that the United States distinguishes between "Licensed Practical Nurses" and "Registered Nurses" - the latter have more responsibilities than "Licensed Practical Nurses" and earn a better living. Wages and the efficiency of the health system are two key priorities for the United Arab Emirates where the average salary ranges from € 3,000 to more than € 10,000 per month. In Japan, new immigration law was passed on April 1, 2019 - intended to hire some 345,000 low or medium-skilled foreign workers. The health crisis led to a rise in the need for nurses and nursing assistants in particular.
IT, new technologies, robotics, computing
This sector has also been in turmoil since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. The 'jobs of the future' are developing continuously. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) the number of jobs created in these new professions will exceed the number of jobs destroyed by 2025. This new “industrial revolution” should result in the creation of some 97 million jobs over the next five years. At the same time, 85 million jobs will disappear, particularly due to the robotization of tasks. But for the WEF, this is far from being harmful. It rather conceives this as a new springboard towards a new organization of work: the robotization of arduous tasks so that the workforce can devote itself to research and innovation.
This optimistic vision is shared by Israel, which is investing massively in this field and recruiting foreign expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data analysis, software developers, and so many others.
Germany, where new technologies are a major pillar, is looking for engineers, especially in robotics and aerospace. There is also a significant demand for technicians in these fields. And to process the large amount of data generated by these new activities, Germany also needs data analysts and data scientists having very diverse functions depending on the spheres of activity. What these data processing experts have in common is mastery of algorithms, programming, and economic language.
Quebec is also investing in the jobs of the future due to the high demand for IT analysts and consultants, IT managers, IT support agents, chemical engineers, civilians, aerospace engineers, and many others.
Already ahead in this field, the United States is looking to further development. In August 2020, the Ministry of Energy announced an investment of nearly $ 1 billion in research and development in addition to the annual $ 500 million injected into research in artificial intelligence and robotization. Thanks to the Pfizer group and its vaccine against Covid-19 (in partnership with BioNTech), the United States is currently positioning itself as a leader in innovation and research. Silicon Valley remains a major pillar in global innovation, even though the global health crisis has led to new trends and behaviours such as remote working - conducive to the emergence of new strongholds for new technologies.
Besides Canada, the EU, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, China is also gradually turning to technological innovation. For instance, China intends to join the market and attract foreign investment. In March 2021, Fanuc, a Japanese robotics giant, announced a 200 million euros investment in its Shanghai factory. The country has more than 3,700 companies specializing in robotics and is hiring foreign expertise. In a recent media interview, Emil Hauch Jensen, managing director of the robotics consulting company Gain & Co in China, confirmed this Chinese dynamic. According to him, in 2015, China presented its major industrial plan 'Made in China 2025', with the objective of becoming a strategic leader in 7 key industries, including robotics. He believes that the Chinese government has supported a very ambitious agenda, especially by offering a large number of grants for automation. "The investors followed, just like the universities which developed specific training programs”, he said. So there are currently many new opportunities for expats in these cutting-edge fields.
Another leader in the robotics sphere, Japan has gone a long way in technological innovations. In fact, many of them have also been tested during the Tokyo Olympics. Fanuc, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Natchi, Kawasaki, Yaskawa and Fujita are some of the Japanese giants revolutionizing the robotics industry. The country regularly hosts international exhibitions dedicated to robotics. Next September, during the World Robot Summit (initially scheduled for 2020), Japanese technologies will once again be in the limelight. It will be an excellent opportunity to appreciate global innovations and, for foreign professionals to discover the Japanese market. In 2019, Japan invested nearly 500 million euros in innovation. The country intends to increase its investments to consolidate its leadership. Foreigners specializing in new technologies, research, robotics, artificial intelligence will find, within Japanese companies, a dynamic and constantly renewing market. Neighbouring South Korea also intends to make a name in the robotics sector. According to the World Robotics directory, in 2018, South Korea became the third country to have industrial robots in operation, behind Japan and China.
Taiwan has also entered the race for innovation. The value of IoT (Internet of Things) production in Taiwan in 2019 reached 38.74 billion euros, which represents 4.3% of the global market share. Thanks to the constant demand from the Taiwanese industry, this value is likely to rise further in the coming yeawrs and thus benefit from the recruitment of international talent.
Other sectors that are recruiting
Finance, banking
Although shaken several times by the Covid-19 crisis, finance and the banking sector have resisted, thanks to a lot of ad hoc government subsidies, to support banks having a tough time. Despite the Delta variant, the
world of finance seems more confident, with countries and provinces like the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Qatar, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Quebec, hiring once again.
Sustainable agriculture, agrifood, ecology, renewable energies
Thanks to greater ecological awareness, Germany currently needs technicians and specialists in the food industry. Since ultra-processed products are facing low demand, there is an urgency for considering new ways of consuming and producing (agricultural productions that require less water, less processed foods, packaging, etc.). Canada, Quebec and the United States are also investing in these fields. The coronavirus pandemic and the recent natural disasters linked to global warming have raised awareness. Although still constituting a niche, these sectors are constantly developing and require skilled expertise with a particular interest for environmental issues.
Marketing, communication, e-commerce, web, multimedia
According to the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) report, "Global e-commerce has reached $ 26.7 trillion, and Covid-19 is boosting online retail sales." Major employment providers in 2021 are the countries that achieved the most sales. The United States ranks first with more than 9 trillion dollars), followed by Japan with 3.4 trillion dollars, China with $ 2.6 trillion and South Korea with $ 1.3 trillion dollars. The Covid-19 has boosted sales and accelerated the expansion of e-commerce. Taiwan has a similar dynamism with a number of jobs to be filled: performance marketing managers, purchasing sourcing, product manager, cloud architect, web designers, web developers, community managers, traffic managers, SEO consultants, graphic designers, web editors, brand content managers, web marketing consultants.
In the field of video games, more specifically, Japan, the United States, China and South Korea are regularly looking for developers, animators and concept artists. The animation sector is also evolving, boosted by streaming platforms, each wanting to offer its own content. European countries have a particular dynamism and regular demand for animators, story-borders, concept artists.
Other opportunities
With the reopening of borders, the entire tourism sector is being redeployed: the catering and hotel sector is hiring again. The United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, China and Quebec are making considerable efforts to boost tourism.
Education (Canada, Japan, China, Quebec), real estate (Quebec, Canada), construction/transport (Japan, Switzerland, Quebec, Taiwan), administrative professions and legal positions (Quebec, Switzerland ), luxury trades (the United States, United Arab Emirates, Qatar), are also looking for skilled professionals. The diversity of sectors that are currently hiring are proof of the global economic recovery, even if there are strong disparities to be observed.
So professionals who were looking to boost their career overseas can now get their project out of the drawers. Economic dynamism, particularly in terms of technological innovation in many fields, such as health, industry, e-commerce, etc., are the leading benefits. But the language barrier can be a considerable downside. Speaking English is no longer a plus but a prerequisite. Speaking Japanese, Korean or Hebrew is also no longer necessarily perceived as an asset. Proficiency in these languages and knowledge of their cultural codes will be highly appreciated by companies, as will professional experience.
