Singapore ranks 8th preferred work destination globally, tops list for Asian cities

Working abroad is a goal that some aspire to do. Ever wondered which countries talents and professionals have their eye on?

Singapore seems to be high on that list, according to one survey.

The global study on international mobility trends, titled Decoding Global Talent 2024, has Singapore ranked eighth in a list of preferred work destinations around the world. 

The study, done by Boston Consulting Group, The Network and The Stepstone Group, featured data from more than 150,000 workforce respondents from 188 countries. 

It found that the prospect of moving abroad for work remains a dream for many professionals around the world, with 23 per cent of respondents indicating that they actively seek jobs in other countries while 63 per cent expressed a willingness to do so. 

At the top of the list for ideal work destinations are English-speaking countries with strong economies such as Australia, the US, Canada and the UK. 

Singapore comes in at eighth place and maintains its rank in the top 10 desirable countries to work since 2020. 

As for the top cities to work in, Singapore comes in at seventh place and surpasses other popular Asian destinations such as Tokyo. 

Topping the list of cities are London, Amsterdam, Dubai and Abu Dubai. 

Findings from the survey showed that people are willing to relocate to Singapore because of the abundance of quality job opportunities, as well as factors like our reputation for safety, stability and security.

Most talents who wish to move to Singapore are from neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong. 

In fact, nearly one in three Malaysian respondents said they preferred Singapore as a working destination. 

Talents who are willing to move to Singapore mostly seek job opportunities in marketing and media, as well as the digital, data science and AI industries. 

Meanwhile, highly skilled careers like business management, engineering as well as research and laboratory are drawing attention as talents have greater opportunities to explore these roles in Singapore.

Singaporeans open to working abroad too 

Is the grass greener on the other side? 

Among the respondents in Singapore, 64 per cent expressed that they'd be keen to pursue opportunities abroad too. 

Countries they've shown interest in are Australia, China and Japan. 

However, the survey showed that most Singaporeans aspiring to work overseas prefer short-term assignments and intend to return home after achieving their goals. 

ALSO READ: KL outranks Singapore for remote work destination, according to 2024 global report

melissateo@asiaone.com