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The US has been dethroned from its spot as the world’s top work destination. (Pixabay)

The US has been dethroned from its spot as the world’s top work destination, while South Korea has moved up 12 places to reach number 12 in the rankings, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) based on a survey of 209,000 workers across 190 countries last year.

Canada was picked as the most desirable work destination, displacing the US from the top of the rankings. The report’s analysis noted that this result was influenced by Canada’s standing as an English-speaking country and an open society, in addition to the strong measures Canada has implemented to tackle COVID-19.

On the other hand, American exceptionalism and moves to restrict immigration during the Trump administration had contributed to negative views of the US, as well as the halfhearted response to COVID-19.

This chart shows the percentage of respondents who would move to each country for work. (Graphic by Statista)

“Respondents showed an increased preference for countries that have actively implemented policies to curb the spread of COVID-19,” the report stated.

After jumping to 37th in 2014 and 24th in 2018, South Korea came in at number 12 on this occasion. Notably, respondents in the Asia Pacific region and blue-collar workers placed South Korea inside their top ten work destinations, with rankings of 6th and 9th respectively.

“Considering the language barrier posed by Korean, this is a noteworthy outcome, and it speaks to how important public healthcare is to people after COVID-19,” the report noted.

However, the popularity of working abroad saw an overall decline. Only 50% of respondents were open to finding employment overseas, a decline from the 2014 and 2018 figures of 64% and 57%, respectively.

“Policies to restrict immigration had already undermined international mobility, and the fact that COVID has made people wary about moving overseas is a new factor added to the mix,” said Rainer Strack, senior partner and one of the report’s authors.

In terms of cities, London was picked as the top work destination, which the report described as “due to the Commonwealth halo.” Seoul came in at number 15, moving inside the top 30 for the first time. There was a prominent rise among cities in Asia, with Asian cities taking four of the top ten spots. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo and Singapore also ranked inside the top ten.

By Kwak No-pil, senior staff writer

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