Migration Reversed

For the first time in four years, more moves by professionals were seen from China to the US, rather than the other way around, according to the International Migration Study conducted by UniGroup Relocation. While in the past, the dominant trend showed more immigration to China, 2013 saw a spike in relocations away from the region. Such movement may be due to a variety of factors, according to Pat Baehler, president of UniGroup Relocation. He explained that increases in relocation reflect business activity, which includes anything from increases in either foreign or domestic recruitment, to patterns in periods of temporary or contract assignments.

While the US, UK, and Australia remain the top three countries from which talent originates when looking at expats within APAC, the study shows a marked increase in the number of moves away from the region and to those countries. Such movement, Baehler clarified, is not necessarily an indicator of regional business trends, and companies should not extrapolate any assumptions from the data. Instead, he focused on the issues and concerns expats face when relocating. For the majority of foreign talent, particularly those in the 30-50 year age range, relocation concerns focus on family: finding the right schools, spouse relocation or job search services and house hunting top the list. For younger talent, Gen Y is less concerned about family matters, and more focused on personal quality of living. Aiding with more than 260,000 international relocations each year, UniGroup Relocation utilises data from surveys such as this to tailor and focus their services for each individual, easing what can often be a difficult transition.

Pat Baehler, president, UniGroup Relocation sees the current trends in migration as predictable. He stated, “When we see movement from one country to another, it could simply be a one year occurrence. International relocations are not typically permanent, and the trend this year may be a reflection on moves from previous years.”