Mexico, one of the least attractive countries for specialized talent and entrepreneurs

 Mexico, one of the least attractive countries for specialized talent and entrepreneurs

Mexico country is ranked in the third worst position among 38 nations analyzed by the OECD when measuring the outlook for highly specialized workers due to low performance in inclusion, quality of life and outlook for skills.

The low levels of inclusion and quality of life, the limited outlook for the development of skills and the complications to obtain a migratory work permit, among other things, place Mexico as one of the least attractive nations for highly specialized talent. at least within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The organization presented the Attractive study for talent 2023, research with which it measures the panorama of each of the nations that comprise it to define those with the best conditions to attract specialized workers, entrepreneurs and university students.

Mexico occupies the 36th position among the 38 OECD countries analyzed in terms of attractiveness for specialized talent, surpassed only by Turkey and Costa Rica, and slightly below Colombia, nations that, although they have in common that they offer better costs of life, they are at the bottom of the table in the rest of the indicators.

“At the end of the ranking, Mexico and Turkey are joined by two new OECD countries, Costa Rica and Colombia. The four nations have in common that they are among the best countries in terms of income and taxes, mainly due to lower tax burdens and costs of living, although they appear among the last countries in all other dimensions," the document states.

The five most attractive countries for specialized workers are New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia and Norway, the first four have remained in the top places –although in a different order– since the first measurement carried out in 2019. Meanwhile, the largest The advance was recorded by the United Kingdom, which went from position ten to seven due to the reforms it made to eliminate access barriers for migrant talent.

“The results of the study show that the absence of policies to attract and retain migrants also modifies the attractiveness of a country if others with similar conditions adopt more favorable policies focused on highly specialized migrants. This underlines the importance of actively reviewing and updating the legal framework to be competitive in the global fight for talent.

The landscape for global talent

The Attractive for Talent study analyzes the working, development and living conditions offered by each economy through eight dimensions:

Quality of opportunities. Element related to the labor outlook for migrants through unemployment rates, required skills, and types of contracts.

Income and taxes. It measures the cost of living through the wages of skilled workers, consumer prices, and tax burdens.

Future prospects. Consider elements around the possibility of settling permanently in a country, such as the requirements to change your immigration status or to obtain nationality.

Environment for the family. It analyzes the employment and educational alternatives for the spouse and children of the migrant worker, as well as the social programs focused on this area.

Panorama for skills. It contemplates aspects related to the levels of research and development in the market, patent registration, command of English and access to broadband and digital infrastructure.

Inclusion. It takes into account the labor participation rate of migrants, the gender gap and the level of acceptance of foreign workers.

Quality of life. It incorporates the results of the OECD's Better Life Index.

immigration policy. It studies the regulatory landscape and the time for migrants to obtain a work permit, the level of digitization of procedures, and the labor quotas for specialized workers.

In the case of Mexico, the best level is in the line of income and taxes as an attraction for global talent. The dimensions with a medium performance are in quality of opportunities and future prospects. In all other areas it has one of the lowest marks.

Meanwhile, our country occupies the penultimate position in the table in terms of attractiveness for international entrepreneurs, surpassed only by Turkey. This is due to a combination of strict immigration policies and less favorable economic and living conditions compared to other nations in the grouping.

The 2023 edition of the study, details the agency, "shows that the attractiveness for talent among OECD countries has remained relatively stable over time, with countries similar at the beginning and end of the ranking. However, some nations have managed to improve their position substantially, while others have fallen behind. This is mainly due to changes in migration policies, either through changes in visa processes or conditions for migrants and their families, or a combination of both.