As Many as 78 Percent of Bosnians and Herzegovinians Are Ready to Live and Work Abroad

More than 78 percent of respondents from Bosnia and Herzegovina are ready to live and work abroad, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a leading global consulting firm, and the Network of leading employment portals worldwide, whose member is Posao.ba, the leading employment portal in BiH, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria. 

Compared to other European countries, residents of BiH rank sixth in terms of readiness to work in another country. The Netherlands ranks first, with 94 percent of its respondents answering positively to this statement, while second and third place are held by France with 94 percent and Poland with 85 percent. Among countries in the region, workers from Croatia rank fifth with 80 percent, and those from Serbia rank tenth with 77 percent.

Respondents from BiH chose Germany as the most desirable country for living and working (72 percent), followed by Austria (60 percent) and Switzerland (59 percent). Additionally, Scandinavian countries rank highly as desirable destinations, with nearly 50 percent of respondents expressing interest in Sweden, and 41 percent of BiH respondents ready to work in Norway.       

When it comes to countries in the Arab world, respondents rated them as somewhat less attractive, with 20 percent opting for Qatar, 17 percent for Saudi Arabia, and 12 percent ready to work in Kuwait. Countries on the African continent received the lowest ratings in the survey. In the global ranking of the survey, respondents rated the United States as the most attractive country for living and working (49 percent), while the next most desirable destinations were the United Kingdom and Canada, cited by 37 percent and 35 percent of respondents, respectively.

The survey also touched on motivational factors in the work environment, with job security being the most important for BiH workers (9.45 out of a maximum of 10 points). Financial stability and the feeling that the employer values their work were ranked second and third in importance by respondents, while a good work-life balance, an attractive fixed salary, and challenging work tasks were rated as least important.       

These results differ significantly from those at the global level, where, in the overall ranking of all 189 countries participating in the survey, respondents cited general job satisfaction, relationships with colleagues, and a good work-life balance as the three most important factors for worker motivation.         

The survey included 1,216 workers from BiH. More than 65 percent of respondents are from the age group 21-34, while the second most numerous age group of respondents is between 35 and 44 years old.       

The distribution of respondents by gender was almost equal, with 51 percent women and 49 percent men participating in the survey.