Global mobility and international hiring statistics 2026

Global mobility and international hiring shape how organisations grow in 2026. Talent now crosses borders faster than ever, yet compliance keeps getting harder. These 50 hiring statistics map the trends driving expats, global hiring, and cross-border teams. Every figure links to a primary source.

How big is the global mobility and international hiring market in 2026 according to hiring statistics?

The market behind global mobility and international hiring is large and growing. Employer of record services, global payroll, and business travel expand year on year. Together, they signal strong demand for compliant cross-border employment. These hiring statistics size it across several multi-billion-dollar markets.

Market	Recent value	Forecast	CAGR
Employer of record (Business Research Insights)	$5.97B (2026)	$10.45B by 2035	6.8%
Payroll outsourcing (Mordor Intelligence)	$12.44B (2025)	$17.83B by 2031	6.19%
Professional employer organisation (Straits Research)	$66.23B (2024)	$170.8B by 2033	11.1%

• Global business travel spending will hit $1.57 trillion in 2025, up 6.6% (GBTA).
• Business travel spending should pass $2 trillion by 2029 (GBTA).
• 97% of executives say a global presence is now vital to compete (G-P, 2024).
• 80% of employees say they want to work for a global company (G-P, 2024).

What do talent shortage hiring statistics reveal?

Talent shortages drive much of today’s cross-border hiring. Employers cannot fill roles locally, so they widen the search abroad. Nearly three in four struggle to find skilled people. Meanwhile, job skills change fast, pushing companies toward global talent pools. These hiring statistics explain why mobility keeps rising.

• 72% of employers worldwide reported talent shortages in 2026, across 39,000+ firms in 41 countries (ManpowerGroup).
• Advanced economies feel it most: Germany 83%, France 74%, the UK 73%, and the US 69%, versus China at 48% (ManpowerGroup, 2026).
• The world could lack 85.2 million skilled workers by 2030 (Korn Ferry, 2018 projection).
• That gap could leave $8.5 trillion in annual revenue unrealised by 2030 (Korn Ferry, 2018 projection).
• About 39% of workers’ core skills will change between 2025 and 2030 (World Economic Forum).
• 59% of the global workforce will need reskilling or upskilling by 2030 (World Economic Forum, 2025).
• 63% of employers call skills gaps the biggest barrier to transformation (World Economic Forum, 2025).
• 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030 (LinkedIn, 2025).
• 22% of CEOs say their firm is highly exposed to a shortage of key skills within a year (PwC, 2025).

Global mobility hiring statistics: assignments, remote work and cost

Global mobility programmes are becoming more strategic, not less. Companies use international assignments to grow talent and retain people. Remote work and new technology also reshape how mobility runs. They show where corporate programmes invest and struggle in 2026.

• 89% of organisations expect their global mobility programme to stay or become more strategic (KPMG, 2024).
• 80% of mobile employees say an international assignment makes them more likely to stay (EY, 2026).
• 66% of employers expect their mobility programme’s scope to expand (EY, 2024).
• In turn, 67% of organisations now back international remote work with a formal policy (KPMG, 2024).
• 52% say mobility’s biggest impact is growing talent through international opportunities (AIRINC, 2025).
• 36% strongly agree international assignments are critical to business growth (ECA International, 2025).
• 72% of mobility teams are scaling up generative and agentic AI (EY, 2026).
• A long-term international assignment costs about $9,800 a year just to administer (ECA International, 2025).

International hiring statistics: how companies build borderless teams

International hiring lets companies build teams without borders. Many hire abroad first, then use an employer of record to stay compliant. However, cross-border employment brings real compliance risk. They reveal how firms hire globally and where friction appears.

• 73% of HR leaders expect over half of new hires to sit outside their main country by 2026 (Remote).
• 55% of companies employing international talent use an employer of record (Remote, 2025).
• 76% of employer of record users report satisfaction with the model (Remote, 2025).
• 74% of leaders hiring internationally have faced compliance problems abroad; 31% of those cost over $50,000 (Remote, 2025).
• Moreover, 79% of leaders say contractors and freelancers now matter more to strategy (Remote, 2025).
• Cross-border hiring grew 42% in 2024 on a major global employment platform (Deel).
• AI-trainer roles were the fastest-growing cross-border job in 2025, up 283% (Deel).
• 72% of executives are ready to look abroad to meet talent needs (G-P, 2024).

How many expats and migrant workers are there worldwide?

About 304 million people now live outside their country of birth. Roughly one in twenty workers worldwide is a migrant. These expats fill critical skill gaps, especially in wealthy economies. They show the scale of global talent movement that fuels international hiring.

• 304 million people lived outside their country of birth in 2024 (UN DESA).
• Migrants form 3.7% of the world’s population, about one in 27 people (UN DESA, 2024).
• The migrant population nearly doubled, from 154 million in 1990 to 304 million in 2024 (UN DESA).
• Top destinations are the US (52.4M), Germany (16.8M), Saudi Arabia (13.7M), the UK (11.8M), and France (9.2M) (UN DESA, 2024).
• The world had 169 million international migrant workers in 2019 (ILO).
• Migrant workers form 4.9% of the global labour force, roughly one in 20 (ILO, 2019).
• Meanwhile, high-income countries host 67% of all migrant workers (ILO, 2019).
• New permanent migration to OECD countries hit a record 6.5 million in 2023 (OECD).
• 72% of expats say they are happy with life abroad (InterNations, 2023).

What do global mobility statistics look like in Europe and the Netherlands?

Europe leans heavily on international hiring to fill skill gaps. The Netherlands stands out, with the EU’s highest job vacancy rate. Dutch employers actively recruit highly skilled migrants and embrace remote work. These global mobility statistics highlight the Dutch picture, where Octagon works daily.

• The EU issued about 89,000 EU Blue Cards to skilled non-EU workers in 2023 (Eurostat).
• Germany granted 69,000 of them, 78% of the EU total (Eurostat, 2023).
• Indian nationals took the most Blue Cards, about 21,000 or 24% (Eurostat, 2023).
• The EU issued 3.5 million first residence permits in 2024, with employment the top reason at 32% (Eurostat).
• The Netherlands used its highly skilled migrant scheme almost 13,000 times in 2023, with about 10,000 recognised sponsors (IND).
• Around 16,000 non-EU knowledge migrants moved to the Netherlands in 2024, down 26% on 2023 (CBS).
• In addition, about 1.5 million posted workers made roughly 4 million postings across the EU in 2023 (European Commission).
• The Netherlands had the EU’s highest job vacancy rate in early 2026, at 4.0% versus the EU’s 2.1% (Eurostat).
• 52% of Dutch workers worked from home in 2023, the highest share in the EU (CBS).

How Octagon enables compliant global mobility and international hiring

These hiring statistics point to one conclusion. Talent moves globally, but compliance decides who wins. Octagon Professionals was founded in 1987 by Tasoula Hadjitofi, who understood displacement first-hand. For nearly four decades, it has helped talent cross borders confidently.

As your employer of record, Octagon removes the heaviest risks of international hiring. We manage local contracts, payroll, tax, and compliance across the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Cyprus, and the UK. Therefore, you avoid misclassification penalties, sick-pay liability, and slow entity setup. Meanwhile, you keep full control of salary, benefits, and working arrangements. We carry the complexity; you keep the decisions.

Ready to hire across borders with clarity, compliance, and trust? Talk to Octagon Professionals today.

Frequently asked questions

Below are quick, standalone answers to the questions people ask most about global mobility, international hiring, and expats in 2026. You can quote or reuse each one without reading the full article.

What is global mobility?

Global mobility is the practice of moving employees across borders for work. It covers international assignments, relocations, remote work, and business travel. Companies use it to fill skill gaps, enter new markets, and develop people. Payroll and compliance support keep every move legal and smooth.

What is the difference between global mobility and international hiring?

Global mobility usually moves existing employees into new countries, often for a set period. International hiring instead recruits new people who already live abroad. Both grow a company’s global talent. Increasingly, firms combine them and lean on an employer of record to stay compliant everywhere.

How many people work abroad as expats?

In 2024, around 304 million people lived outside their country of birth, according to the UN. Many are working-age expats who ease labour shortages abroad. Globally, migrant workers make up almost 5% of the workforce. High-income countries host most of them.

Why are companies hiring internationally in 2026?

Companies hire internationally because skilled local talent is scarce. In 2026, 72% of employers reported hiring difficulty, especially across Europe. International hiring opens wider talent pools and rare skills. It also supports expansion into new markets, if firms manage compliance carefully.

What is an employer of record and how does it support international hiring?

An employer of record legally employs your staff abroad, so you need no local entity. It handles contracts, payroll, tax, and compliance on your behalf. You keep daily control of the work itself. As a result, this model speeds up international hiring and cuts legal risk.