•Nearly 70 per cent of Kenyan respondents cite financial and economic reasons to move abroad, while more than 45 per cent cite not being able to bring family or life partners as reasons not to relocate.
•Kenya ranks 75th in terms of its overall attractiveness to global workers, while people from Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Belgium, and Estonia would like to come to Kenya to work.
Image: FILE
Majority of learned Kenyan workers seek any slight opportunity to work abroad, a new global survey has shown.
Despite global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, widespread economic concerns, and emerging virtual mobility trends from the past several years, moving abroad for work remains a dream for many workers around the world, with 23 per cent of global and 60 percent of local professionals actively seeking jobs in other countries.
This essentially means that, every six out of ten professionals working in Kenya are actively seeking jobs abroad a higher number than the global average of one in four professionals globally.
To put it in perspective, out of any three working professionals two of them are willing and ready to leave the country to work elsewhere.
Nearly 70 per cent of Kenyan respondents cite financial and economic reasons to move abroad, while more than 45 per cent cite not being able to bring family or life partners as reasons not to relocate.
These are among the findings of a new report published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), The Network, The Stepstone Group and local partner The African Talent Company (TATC).
BCG Managing Director and Partner Zoë Karl-Waithaka said with globalisation there is need to adapt job markets to be more versatile, enabling workers to move to where they are most needed and where they can find the best positions for their skills.
“The three biggest reasons identified by Kenyan respondents, who are not willing to move overseas are the inability to bring family members or a life partner with them (48 per cent); the cost of relocation (43 per cent) and concerns about personal safety and security (34 per cent),” says Karl-Waithaka.
The survey further shows that the top 10 work destinations for Kenyans are the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Qatar, France and Switzerland.
Better pay and economic reasons tops the reasons why Kenyan professionals want to move to go and work in foreign countries.
The survey shows that global talent moves abroad primarily for professional progress, with those willing to do so citing financial and economic reasons (64 per cent of global versus 67 per cent local respondents).
Others move due to other considerations such as career progress or work experience. In Kenya 64 percent cite career progress as the reason they want to move, higher than the global average of 56 per cent.
However, despite the high number of Kenyan professionals looking for greener pastures elsewhere, the country is also attracting foreign nationals who are seeking green pastures in Kenya.
Kenya ranks 75th in terms of its overall attractiveness to global workers, while people from Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Belgium, and Estonia would like to come to Kenya to work.
“There are some clear reasons why people are choosing to relocate to Kenya, most notably, its welcoming culture and inclusivity (50 per cent), quality of job opportunities (49 per cent), quality of life (37 per cent), and a family-friendly environment (34 per cent),” added Karl-Waithaka.
The study also highlights the fact that workers who move abroad expect employers to take the lead in supporting their relocation and on boarding and to cultivate an international, inclusive culture.
An estimated 79 percent or eight out of ten respondents globally expect to get help with housing, however in Kenya 86 per cent of respondents in Kenya seek help with housing.
This is also reflected in access to Visa and work permit where 91 percent of Kenyans seek assistance compared to 78 per cent globally.
When relocating an estimates Sh76 per cent of Kenyans count on relocation support, slightly higher than 69 per cent globally.
“Importantly, nearly nine in ten (89 per cent) local respondents have expressed a willingness to work remotely for foreign employers in Kenya, which could present global organisations with access to resources to meet people shortages in important economies,” adds Karl-Waithaka.
Titled Decoding Global Talent 2024, the study is based on survey data from more than 150,000 workforce respondents from 188 countries, including Kenya, and is the fourth instalment in a series, the previous editions having been published in 2014, 2018, and 2021.
Natives of regions with a labour surplus (owing to higher birth rates) tend to be more mobile than those who live in areas where the labour force is shrinking.
For instance, 64 percent of workers in the Middle East and Africa are actively willing to relocate, and more than half of respondents in South Asia (58 per cent) and sub-Saharan Africa (52 per cent) are actively willing to do so.
Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany round out the top five most desired destination countries globally
London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and New York rank number one through number five for cities
Cape Town, Abuja, Cairo, Alexandria, Johannesburg, and Durban are the African cities that rank in the top 100.
Younger people and people from countries with fast-growing populations are the most mobile.
English-speaking geographies with strong economies lead the list of top destinations, with Australia, the US, Canada, and the UK being the four most desirable countries, while Cape Town, Abuja, Cairo, Alexandria, Johannesburg, and Durban rank in the top 100 cities.
For global respondents who listed a specific reason for choosing a particular country, the quality of job opportunities was the top decisive factor (65 per cent), with quality of life and climate ranking second (54 per cent).
Other country-specific characteristics such as opportunities for citizenship (18 per cent) and health care (15 per cent) also play a role but are secondary factors.