Global businesses need specialized migrant skills
01/06/2010 | 09:34 AM
Business leaders in Asia and the Pacific and elsewhere believe that migrant workers continue to be good for business and the economy, despite reports of growing protectionist and nationalistic sentiment prompted by the global recession, The Western Union Co. said.
Business executives are looking for fewer, not greater barriers to migration, according to a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Western Union.
Despite challenges in hiring foreign workers, only a limited number of businesses have advocated for their government to relax immigration laws.
Three out of four business leaders based in Asia Pacific (74 percent) and worldwide (76 percent) say that international workers have a positive impact on the economy. Nearly as many respondents, 70 percent in Asia Pacific (71 percent globally) say that foreign workers provide their businesses with competitive advantages.
A total of 501 executives participated in the online survey titled "Western Union Global Migration Business Impact Survey" conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Western Union in September last year.
About 43 percent of the respondents were C-level executives and the balance consisted of senior vice-presidents, heads of business units and other senior managers.
About 57 percent of businesses represented by the respondents had annual global sales over $500M. Industries represented included financial services, manufacturing, information technology and professional services.
Twenty-six percent of respondents were from North America, 28 percent from Asia and the Pacific and 27 percent from Europe; the remainder hailed from Latin America and Middle East/Africa.
"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," the statement quoted Patrician Riingen, senior vice-president, Pacific & Indochina, The Western Union Company, as saying.
Nearly six in 10 business leaders said the global recession will not change their hiring practices toward foreign workers. In fact, 11 percent say the recession has made them more likely to hire foreign workers.
Business leaders also see immigration employment laws and regulations affecting their ability to hire international workers, with more than one in four (28 percent in Asia Pacific and 27 percent globally) saying that regulations make it difficult to hire a sufficient number of international workers.
About four in 10 (37 percent in Asia Pacific and 39 percent globally) cited limited quotas and visas as one of the most significant challenges.
Three in 10 (27 percent in Asia Pacific and 30 percent globally) said the process takes too long.
"While businesses clearly see the benefits of an open labor market, very few of them are actually involved in advocating publicly for it," Hikmet Ersek, Western Union chief operating officer said in the same statement.
In Asia Pacific, only 22 percent of respondents have asked, or plan to ask, their government for more open immigration employment laws. Worldwide, only 15 percent of executives say they have asked for more open immigration employment laws. According to the survey, fewer than one in 10 are advocating for processes or programs under their own company name.
Other key findings of the survey include the following.
• The vast majority of business leaders (79 percent in Asia Pacific and 81 percent globally) believe that international workers enhance the skills and talent of their work force.
• More than a third of the respondents (34 percent in Asia Pacific and 41 percent globally) say that they hire international workers because it makes economic sense.
• Of the relatively small minority of respondents that do not currently employ international workers (16 percent in Asia Pacific and 13 percent globally), more than 36 percent in Asia Pacific and 33 percent globally plan to do so in the future.
• More than one in four in Asia Pacific (30 percent in Asia Pacific and 25 percent globally) expect the percentage of migrant workers employed by their organizations to rise by end of 2010. — BusinessWorld
Business executives are looking for fewer, not greater barriers to migration, according to a survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Western Union.
Despite challenges in hiring foreign workers, only a limited number of businesses have advocated for their government to relax immigration laws.
Three out of four business leaders based in Asia Pacific (74 percent) and worldwide (76 percent) say that international workers have a positive impact on the economy. Nearly as many respondents, 70 percent in Asia Pacific (71 percent globally) say that foreign workers provide their businesses with competitive advantages.
A total of 501 executives participated in the online survey titled "Western Union Global Migration Business Impact Survey" conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Western Union in September last year.
About 43 percent of the respondents were C-level executives and the balance consisted of senior vice-presidents, heads of business units and other senior managers.
About 57 percent of businesses represented by the respondents had annual global sales over $500M. Industries represented included financial services, manufacturing, information technology and professional services.
Twenty-six percent of respondents were from North America, 28 percent from Asia and the Pacific and 27 percent from Europe; the remainder hailed from Latin America and Middle East/Africa.
"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," the statement quoted Patrician Riingen, senior vice-president, Pacific & Indochina, The Western Union Company, as saying.
Nearly six in 10 business leaders said the global recession will not change their hiring practices toward foreign workers. In fact, 11 percent say the recession has made them more likely to hire foreign workers.
Business leaders also see immigration employment laws and regulations affecting their ability to hire international workers, with more than one in four (28 percent in Asia Pacific and 27 percent globally) saying that regulations make it difficult to hire a sufficient number of international workers.
About four in 10 (37 percent in Asia Pacific and 39 percent globally) cited limited quotas and visas as one of the most significant challenges.
Three in 10 (27 percent in Asia Pacific and 30 percent globally) said the process takes too long.
"While businesses clearly see the benefits of an open labor market, very few of them are actually involved in advocating publicly for it," Hikmet Ersek, Western Union chief operating officer said in the same statement.
In Asia Pacific, only 22 percent of respondents have asked, or plan to ask, their government for more open immigration employment laws. Worldwide, only 15 percent of executives say they have asked for more open immigration employment laws. According to the survey, fewer than one in 10 are advocating for processes or programs under their own company name.
Other key findings of the survey include the following.
• The vast majority of business leaders (79 percent in Asia Pacific and 81 percent globally) believe that international workers enhance the skills and talent of their work force.
• More than a third of the respondents (34 percent in Asia Pacific and 41 percent globally) say that they hire international workers because it makes economic sense.
• Of the relatively small minority of respondents that do not currently employ international workers (16 percent in Asia Pacific and 13 percent globally), more than 36 percent in Asia Pacific and 33 percent globally plan to do so in the future.
• More than one in four in Asia Pacific (30 percent in Asia Pacific and 25 percent globally) expect the percentage of migrant workers employed by their organizations to rise by end of 2010. — BusinessWorld
