Business leaders show confidence in international recruitment
Business leaders still believe that international recruitment gives them a competitive edge in the wake of the global economic crisis.
A new survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit and Western Union found that 76 per cent of business leaders believed foreign workers had a positive affect on the economy, while more than half said that the recession had not changed the number of workers which they were hiring from abroad.
The latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found that employers in 25 out of 35 countries which took part were expecting to hire staff in the first quarter of 2010.
Hikmet Ersek, Western Union chief operating officer-designate, said: "While economic insecurity is putting politicians under pressure to protect jobs for locals, it is clear that business leaders still see an open economy with economic migration as essential to drive the recovery."
However he added that few corporate leaders would air these views in a public forum.
Specific skills were named as one of the top reasons for hiring foreign workers. Almost 80 per cent looked to the international recruitment market to fill specific staffing needs and an overwhelming majority believed foreign workers added to the overall skill set and competitiveness of their firm.
Written by Charles Mackay.