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US Remains Top Country For Global Workers

Nerval's Lobster writes The Boston Consulting Group and The Network recently surveyed 200,000 people in 189 countries to figure out the global willingness to work abroad. Their conclusion? People will indeed set down professional roots in another country—although younger workers seem far more willing to expatriate than their older peers. Where do the majority of global workers want to head? The United States, which 42 percent of respondents listed as their top potential work destination, followed by the U.K. (37 percent), Canada (35 percent), Germany (33 percent), Switzerland (29 percent), and France (29 percent). But citizens in the United States seemed a bit more reluctant to return the favor—less than 50 percent said they either lived abroad or would consider doing so for work. That's in sharp contrast to countries such as France, where a significant majority of citizens seemed willing to explore jobs in other nations. Of course, those who work in tech already know that globalization is a huge issue.

123 comments

  1. Well yeah by Spy+Handler · · Score: 0

    when you're already in the best place for tech jobs, you're gonna have less incentive to move.

    Like it or not U.S. has the most and bestest tech companies. France, not so much.

    1. Re:Well yeah by iggymanz · · Score: 4, Informative

      Wrong, France is a leader in aviation (#2 exporter) and european aerospace,, medicine, nuclear fuel reprocessing, genetics, second largest defense tech maker,

      France is ranked #4 in research after U.S, Japan, Germany.

    2. Re:Well yeah by Spy+Handler · · Score: 1

      Well, I said "most and bestest". You seem to be focusing only on the latter and ignoring the former.

      Is there anyone on earth who believes France has more tech jobs available than US?

    3. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have won more wars than you and You lose most of you wars when they dont help you out.

    4. Re:Well yeah by sabri · · Score: 1

      France is a leader in aviation (#2 exporter) and european aerospace,, medicine, nuclear fuel reprocessing, genetics, second largest defense tech maker, France is ranked #4 in research after U.S, Japan, Germany.

      France is also the number one destroyer of their own economy, with everyone going on strike as soon as someone farts and doesn't say "excusez moi".

      Seriously, fuck the French with all their strikes. I'm avoiding France like the plague, and never ever will I travel through CDG again if I can avoid it. Half of the time the flight is cancelled, or someone is on strike. Whether that is ATC, pilots, cabin crew or ground personnel.

      --
      I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
    5. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have won more wars than you and You lose most of you wars when they dont help you out.

      The French haven't won a war since Napoleon.

      You know why Paris has tree-lined boulevards? So the Germans can march in the shade.

    6. Re:Well yeah by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2

      France is a lot smaller than the United States. It's about the size of Texas, with a population about 1/5 of the US.

      Just based on that you would expect fewer people to pick it as a destination.

      Not to mention who speaks French anymore? It's not even in the top 10 most spoken languages these days. It's much easier to deal with a new place where you have some idea of the language.

    7. Re:Well yeah by iggymanz · · Score: 2

      the size of Texas and kicking ass in aerospace, electronics, medicine.....sounds like more going on per populated square mile than USA.

      70+% of all French people speak english (they have to study it), and in tech/engineering sector it's near 100%.

    8. Re:Well yeah by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Do you know how to get a frog to answer you in english? Talk to him in German.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    9. Re:Well yeah by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      And in aviation (Boeing), aerospace worldwide (Boeing, Lockheed, SpaceX, etc), medicine, genetics, defense - the US is number one. So all those areas France lags the US...

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    10. Re:Well yeah by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 0

      the size of Texas and kicking ass in aerospace, electronics, medicine.....sounds like more going on per populated square mile than USA.

      70+% of all French people speak english (they have to study it), and in tech/engineering sector it's near 100%.

      You know why they speak English in the tech/engineering sector? Because in aerospace, electronics, medicine - they're behind the US.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    11. Re: Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I share the sentiment. All these maggits with their complicated languages, even brits are a disgrace when it comes to it. I suppose more of you have to volunteer to usmc to teach us.

    12. Re:Well yeah by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

      The French haven't won a war since Napoleon.

      The first major war the French fought after Napoleon was the Crimean War. They won.

    13. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Airbus is bigger than Boeing, EADS (Ariane) is the bigger than any US Company in that field, medicine the US isn't even near the top 3 (if you look at the results, the US is a third World country worse than Cuba)

    14. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I conclude that until 19e century Roman Empire was first. And by now Greeks are the first in mathematics because the Greek symbols.

    15. Re:Well yeah by Kariles70 · · Score: 2

      France is the smartest nuclear nation on earth. They ignored all of the environmental quacks and got all the carbon free energy they wanted from now on through nuclear and are even exporting some power to Germany since Germany decided to turn all of their reactors off.

    16. Re:Well yeah by greatpatton · · Score: 1

      Not true there is one place where US is number one regarding health system: total cost per inhabitant. Far ahead of Switzerland which is one of the most expensive country in the world... page 155: http://www.oecd.org/els/health...

    17. Re:Well yeah by erikkemperman · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Wait, is this still about their refusal to support, much less join, the invasion of Iraq? Because they felt the reasons given were lies? Even though the U.S. threatened that when the time came for it spend Iraqi money on "reconstruction" they would exclusively source from fellow warmongers?

      I'm not sure how you could've possibly missed this -- but it turned out they were right.

      --
      Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
    18. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that the french enjoy far higher life quality, 35 hour working week, far better healthcare services for everybody, higher life expectancy, better-looking women, and they aren't disgustingly obese like you guys in the US (13% obesity rate vs. 30%).

      Not to mention that there are several countries that have all the french pros, AND also higher wages than the US: Norway, for example.

    19. Re:Well yeah by dave420 · · Score: 1

      No, because English is, ironically, the Lingua Franca of the world. It's higher in the tech/engineering sector as those people are better educated, and the better educated someone is the more likely they'll speak English.

      You can stop trying to make yourself look awesome by trying to make the country you were born in sound better. It only works on children.

    20. Re:Well yeah by NotDrWho · · Score: 1

      No, foreigners come to the U.S. because, thanks to corporate ownership of the government, the U.S. is one of the few countries that shows almost no favoritism to native workers (quite the opposite actually). You're more likely to get a tech job in the U.S. these days with an H1B visa and a few Java classes than with American citizenship and a full degree.

      --
      SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
    21. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rafael is no sitting duck, and then Eurofighter work. I think they get some of the Joint Strike Fighter pie as well.

      that and FN has a pretty big manufacturing facility there. then there is obvious stuff like the FAMAS. Also, the Mistral Class cruisers, and their super carrier.

      they punch above their weight for their size, but that is like a featherweight vs Super Heavy weight. no matter how good his training or how good his technique is, the gorilla will still tear him apart.

    22. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      then the slogfest that was the first world war, and then the Resistance.

      tough motherfuckers the french. The french were also responsible for us having the Naval backup to break free of britain ( all the rugged individualism and guys hiding in the bushes won't stop a gunship)

    23. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What are you on about bigot? The US has the largest economy in the world and over all the most advanced. Also, the original definition of 1st world country was essentially being on the US' side during the cold war.

    24. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been to France, meh... Paris is dirty... And if you call hairy women sexy, then you're right where you need to be french-fry.

      How are those austerity riots holding up?

    25. Re:Well yeah by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Airbus was 33 billion euros in 2011, about $40 billion.

      Boeing was $86 billion in 2013. Unless Airbus more than doubled revenues in 2 years, I think Boeing has a comfortable lead on Airbus.

      As far as medicine, name the top pharma or medical device companies - all US based.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    26. Re:Well yeah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been to France, meh... Paris is dirty... And if you call hairy women sexy, then you're right where you need to be french-fry.

      You were probably eating at a mcdonald's, and those women were american tourists.

    27. Re:Well yeah by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2

      Because the revenue of Airbus is only the revenue of the fixed wing aircraft manufacture division while the revenue of Boeing is everything: airplanes, helicopters, rockets and satellites. Better try this.

      And no, not all top pharma companies are US based. Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer are German, GlaxoSmithKline is British, Novartis and Roche are Swiss, Sanofi is French. Okay, Merck is nowadays American, but it was in fact started as a German company.

      So, before you start flag-waving, better check the facts first.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    28. Re:Well yeah by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 1

      My experience in France is that the young people in tech industries speak good English. Not so much the older generation.

      The real problem is once you get out in the general public and want to do something like get a train ticket or buy lunch. It makes daily life a problem.

    29. Re:Well yeah by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      haha, they refuse to speak English to tourists as matter of pride. You've been trolled by froggers!

    30. Re:Well yeah by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      Airbus' 59B euros is still behind Boeing's $86B. And Pfizer tops the pharma list - a US company. Business is dominated by the US - no flag waving needed, it's simply a fact. It's why most business/sales people learn English, it's the predominant language of business because you need it to do business in the largest market in the world - the US.

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  2. Diversity vs monoculture by TWX · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It doesn't hurt the United States that just about every major culture in the world is represented here, and even American-specific culture is very diverse. With some research it wouldn't be difficult to find a community that appeals, even avoiding expensive places to live like New York and San Francisco. And as an American that's travelled fairly extensively in the United States and a little abroad, one can get many of the benefits of going abroad while remaining in one's own country. Boston is very different from Chicago or Hawaii or Miami or Portland. It's easy to move within the country to have an entirely different experience than where one was before, no residency issues or other international-lines problems.

    Obviously some other countries have very diverse cultures and regions too; I'd think that India and China could feel much the same way, but there aren't necessarily the kinds of jobs that people look for in those more distinct regions either. That probably helps make America appeal. Don't like the cold? Move to Phoenix or Dallas or San Diego, all different cultures, all one country.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by SimonInOz · · Score: 1

      I left Britain fairly early on - first I went to Europe (Holland/Belgium), where there was money to be made, and anyway it was fun. Then, after a couple of years off, I tried the UK once again, but the weather drove me away (all the unpleasant stories about the English weather are true, unfortunately. Warming up a bit might improve the place a lot).
      So I fled to Australia.
      Decent climate, English spoken, high tech, in fact a decent country all round.

      Thirty years later I'm still there.

      This is how I chose ...
      USA - the visa challenges repelled me (I don't fancy it these days, it seems to have lost/sold its soul)
      Canada - too cold
      India not my cup of tea,
      China - wasn't on my radar at the time, and the language difficulties would have been formidable,
      South Africa - no thanks
      Various European countries - language problems
      New Zealand - pretty, but cold

      So I'll stay in Australia, thanks! Sunny today, with a very small chance of invasions later in the day.

      --
      "Cats like plain crisps"
    2. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by youngone · · Score: 1

      I love "New Zealand - pretty, but cold". It's about right, except for the top bit of the North Island, which is neither.

    3. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by Matt.Battey · · Score: 1

      As a US citizen, I can't agree with you more. We have perceived immigration issues, because millions of people have entered on foot or otherwise across the southern boarder without stopping at an immigration station to register. All because there is so much money to be had from performing manual labor compared to any type of employment in many so called Latin American countries. This, of course, is illegal, because laws were enacted to keep undesirables out of the country.

      So at the same time, a law that is ineffective in discouraging people from entering without legal documentation, discourages many who would normally immigrate with complete authorization because the process is too cumbersome and limited. I personally don't know what a better process would be, but contribution the non-black-market economy is good for everyone, in the end.

    4. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by TWX · · Score: 1

      It really disappoints me, what happened to Mexico. Movies set in the 1960s made Mexico look like its urban areas were just about on-par with urban areas in the United States at the time, and while rural areas may have been poor, there were and are lots of poor rural places in the United States too.

      When we used to go toward Baja when I was a kid it felt much poorer than the US, and fairly recently when I took a cruise that stopped on the coast of Baja, the port we stopped at was just awful. I've seen commercial ports and abandoned or closed commercial ports in the US in Boston, San Francisco, San Pedro, San Diego, and on the islands of Oahu and Kauai. They all looked better than the one in Baja. The city we had to go through looked terrible too, broken monuments and public spaces, armed checkpoints that the excursion bus had to traverse, nonfunctional traffic signals, and trash EVERYWHERE. I felt more comfortable with a broken down rental car in Chelsea near Logan Airport than I did riding on a moving bus in Ensenada.

      It makes me sad. Mexico didn't have to end up this way.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    5. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reads like the typical American mindset, aka country expert, world stupid. Sure, you may have pockets of people who try to recreate the culture from their country but it does not compare to the real thing. Just like phrases like American-Italians, they are one or the other, prepending "America" to phrases in general is stupid. The whole world is in pursuit of happiness, you are not special or unique.

    6. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As well it should be. As we've grown as a nation we have less room and less resources and the standards to get in ought to be increasing. I've never understood why the US should be required to have lower standards than anybody else.

      Also, we have serious issues with tech workers being brought in as a way of depressing wages. We don't have a shortage of qualified people to take those jobs, we just have a shortage of people that are willing to accept a sub-living wage to do the work. Expecting 3-5 years of experience in the field to read scripts at a help desk is beyond humiliating, it's a complete mockery or the application process.

    7. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by jemmyw · · Score: 1

      I've gone a different way around.

      1. I left Britain for New Zealand... I love NZ, the weather is perfect for me, neither too hot nor too cold at any time, it rains but doesn't feel miserable like the UK does sometimes. Great coffee, good food everywhere, good people who mostly respect immigrants. But downside, very small tech sector, everyone knows one another which I found a little difficult at times.
      2. Once I had my NZ passport went to San Francisco. Hate the weather, California is too sunny. Hate the tech scene, I think the startup thing going on in SF is actually a bit crappy to work near. USA is diverse and interesting, I've loved travelling around. I could settle in New England, Maine is lovely. Americans are lovely people, but deeper friendships take longer for some reason, maybe cultural differences.
      3. About to move to Denmark. I doubt the language will be too much a problem, looking forward to the better social support system. Will definitely be commenting on it in the near future.
      4. Australia maybe...
      5. Back to NZ, build a house.

    8. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by Matt.Battey · · Score: 1

      Sub-living wage is pushing it. I think the goal is to keep programers at a wage similar to other "office workers." But in reality programers are more like engineers, who like accountants and actuaries receiver a higher pay scale than your average human-resources wonk.

    9. Re:Diversity vs monoculture by Matt.Battey · · Score: 1

      Mexico really got the short end of the stick, but it happened for a couple of reasons. First off was the nationalization of oil production. US oil and gas companies had explored and drilled for oil and were reaping the benefits of harvesting it. Then the government declared these oil operations were owned by the government (part of a socialist movement, still alive in Mexico today).

      Although Mexico was one of the most stable Latin American countries from 1920-1970, the oil crisis of the 1970's (caused by Nixion's decision to take the US of the gold standard and cause US currency to be 100% fiat) caused major inflation during that time period. This causes Mexico to default on its external debt, in 1982. Through out the '80s, the result was inflation and devaluation, causing major harm to many Mexicans who did not have inflation protection based on debt obligations (i.e. the common man).

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...

  3. US on Top by clafarge · · Score: 0

    ... 'cause: 'Merica! Oo RAH!

    --
    Tis I: Me.
    1. Re:US on Top by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 1

      ... 'cause: 'Merica! Oo RAH!

      Except that the US actually is the preferred destination, so ... that's ... not really so clever.

    2. Re:US on Top by clafarge · · Score: 1

      Clearly you misunderstand... US ought to be the top, is the top, and mine was an expression of pride at that fact. Hope this clarifies.

      --
      Tis I: Me.
  4. Favo(u)r by Livius · · Score: 1

    "But citizens in the United States seemed a bit more reluctant to return the favor"

    Who says it's a favour?

  5. Oh yippie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Land of the free, home of the BLT

  6. US France Grt Britain Germany Switzerland by rmdingler · · Score: 2
    Unsurprising. Despite local government attempts to the contrary, the top five on the list are all decent, fairly civilized Western democracies, that provide many life comforts to someone with a modest income.

    The young are more adventurous, less settled, and likely to seek international opportunities. I can see that.

    FWIW, the US doesn't fail at everything. We still have the Dream.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:US France Grt Britain Germany Switzerland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FWIW, the US doesn't fail at everything. We still have the Dream.

      GDP (and tax rate) adjusted, the margin between the US & UK (etc) is scandalously narrow.
      My local (MA) French school had to close down because they couldn't attract enough French teachers.
      They were put off by a combination of climate, culture, bureaucracy(!), and the relative status of teaching as a profession.

      I always fancied moving to AU. My kids would be taught by people who'd be nursing their failed dot-coms through chaper-11 in the US.
      Champagne (Sparkling Shiraz) Socialism FTW!

    2. Re:US France Grt Britain Germany Switzerland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "fairly civilized Western democracies" = WHITE countries...

      At least, at the moment...

    3. Re:US France Grt Britain Germany Switzerland by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The world has always had that dream, you came along late to the party.

  7. Crossing Borders by ADRA · · Score: 2

    Once you start crossing borders, 'nations' become less worrisome. I'd like to know how many of the 'willing expats' have travelled out-of-nation prior to the survey. I'd bet that the majority have. I'd assume that there are fewer of the Americans surveyed who have travelled abroad, but this is just my gut feel. I've heard 'stories' mind you, of people who've never left their counties *shudder*.

    Once you leave and explore the world a little, you'll find that many places are quite nice to visit / live for a while. Some will be learning experiences, some will just be for material gain, and others will receive opportunities that their own country can't offer. Why the specific people thought what they did was another topic.

    Although one big reason is that there's still the prevailing belief that moving to America will increase your chance at happiness, security, or financial success. I'd still consider that debatable, but the circumstances are very relevant.

    http://www.nationmaster.com/co...
    Tells me there's a large shift in immigration for people moving into OIL rich nations which makes sense since there's probably a great financial incentive to move (10 year old data alas). The US is 30th, so still pretty strong on the immigration front, but seems to be slowwing per capita over time, which may indicate tighter immigration policies or less incentive from 2005-2008. Of course post-housing meltdown numbers would be more interesting, but oh well.

    --
    Bye!
  8. 42% are WILLING to work in the US by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...the summary says 42% picked the US as their top destination. That's not what the article says. The summary also somehow adds 42+37+35+33+29+29 and comes up with less than 100. The article does not.

    1. Re:42% are WILLING to work in the US by rmdingler · · Score: 1
      There you go Jethro, flouting your math skills again...

      If you can flocking believe this, the summary actually misrepresented the original story's intent. It was to be a representation of all the nations a particular survey respondent would consider relocating to.

      And yes, I know in my heart that RTFA is the Kobayashi Maru of the green line site.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    2. Re:42% are WILLING to work in the US by davydagger · · Score: 1

      news for nerds

      but we have an obvious problem with addition.

      thats 205% of the population reporting in, and somehow only one person, an AC nonetheless picked up on it.

      reading the article it says "willing to move to this country" is no the same as "top destination".

  9. Dice get it yet again by jklovanc · · Score: 2

    The United States, which 42 percent of respondents listed as their top potential work destination, followed by the U.K. (37 percent), Canada (35 percent), Germany (33 percent), Switzerland (29 percent), and France (29 percent).

    The numbers are the percentage of respondents willing to move to that specific country and not their "top potential work destination". A respondent can be willing to move to more than one country which is why the numbers add up to more than 100%.

    Here is a quote from the actual article;

    The United States is the destination with the highest appeal to foreign workers. Of all respondents, 42 percent say the U.S. is one of the places they would consider moving to. (See Exhibit 5.) The U.S. maintains its appeal among workers in many impoverished nations, including Nigeria, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Sixty percent or more of respondents from those nations say the U.S. is a place they would move to for work. The UK and Canada get the next highest declarations of interest from survey participants: 37 percent and 35 percent, respectively. The UK, Canada, and the U.S. are all in the top ten in terms of nominal GDP, per capita GDP, or both. They all also benefit from being largely English-speaking at a time when English is the most frequently taught second language.

  10. Re:Oh yippie by davydagger · · Score: 1

    I don't know if your trolling or genuinely this dumb

  11. Taxes by wiredlogic · · Score: 1

    US citizens get screwed when they work overseas because we still have to pay US taxes. We also haven't recovered from the intentional devaluation of the dollar by Bush2 which makes our economic mobility limited. We are a nation of burger flippers enslaved to the 1%.

    --
    I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
    1. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No you have to FILE US taxes, not pay. The only way to pay is to make a fair chunk of change working in a country with lower taxes than the US. Otherwise there's at least two ways (expat and foreign tax credit) to wave away all the payments. And it takes a couple of hours, call it 8, to do all the paperwork.

      The foreign $$ forms are a bother, but then I suspect each country has a distinct interest in one's foreign holdings.

    2. Re:Taxes by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

      And Obama and the Democrats made it worse with this FACTA bullshit. Basically as a US citizen abroad, both me and my family have to report stuff to the IRS(bank accounts, investment accounts etc) that I wouldn't have to report to the IRS if I were in the United States. And if you fail to report they will help themselves to your bank account, even if you didn't actually do anything other than forget to file. And it doesn't apply to just individuals, any American with signature authority on a foreign account, be it business or personal, has to report the details of that bank account to the IRS.

      And here is the kicker, the whole thing is actually predicted, even by the supporters of the bill, to be revenue negative. Meaning they are SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY to fuck over Americans living abroad. The sheer stupidity of this bill is staggering. I had up to that point always been a democrat and a supporter of Obama, but this just drove me away from both. I even donated some money to a Republican-led campaign to challenge this incredibly unconstitutional bill in the supreme court. This bill is responsible for an almost exponential increase in the # of Americans getting rid of their citizenship, perhaps most famous among them Tina Turner, who is now a Swiss citizen.

      (Un)fortunately, I live in a country that is basically beholden to the US and as a coder I don't expect to be in charge of corporate bank accounts , so it's not a huge deal, but it's just the principal of the thing. More here

    3. Re: Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Us is one of very few countries where one can spend whole tax year abroud, have no contact with home economy and still having to do tax declaration and no it is not always easy and cheap. Fuck off. Btw the list referred above is shirt and contains all best countries to migrate.

    4. Re:Taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Depends on whether or not it's earned income, how weak the dollar is, if you own property, gov't saving schemes. It's really not very difficult to reach the threshold for the exemption. It's certainly not as easy to do your taxes as you make it out to be. But all of this is besides the point.

      The point being that FATCA, FBAR and CBT are having a direct impact on the lives of millions of expats who live outside the US - in essence, creating a 'second-class citizen' in their adopted country. Not only does it affect expats, but also other 'accidental' Americans - and the spouses/children of those Americans. Same if you're an American in a key position at a foreign company with signing authority.

      Citizen-based taxation is morally and ethically wrong and needs to go. Every other country in the world (apart from Eritea) taxes based on residency. America is shooting itself in the foot on a global level here - and instead of supporting its expats - is turning them into pariahs.

      See isaacbrocksociety.ca for some great coverage of this travesty.

      Captcha: iceberg - indeed!

    5. Re:Taxes by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 1

      Same thing for me. I'm going to be dual U.S. / Irish soon (currently U.S.), so that I can work while my family has an extended stay in Germany. Between the U.S.'s insane politics, and FACTA, I'm so pissed off that I'm planning to drop my U.S. citizenship if Germany works out well.

      I have unbecoming fantasies about having an hour alone with myself, a tire iron, and every politician who wants to call me unpatriotic for walking away from their self-serving incompetent anti-Constitutional treason.

    6. Re:Taxes by greatpatton · · Score: 1

      And that's why more and more US citizen abroad are renouncing to their US citizenship. In Switzerland the number are growing every year, as thanks to FACTA even getting a simple bank account is almost impossible. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

  12. USA USA USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Being in America i have noticed companies are very willing to fly someone in from another country. But if you want to move to another state on their dime, it isn't so easy.

  13. News for Nerds - Stuff that Matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why do I even come to this site anymore?

    1. Re:News for Nerds - Stuff that Matters by BorisSkratchunkov · · Score: 1

      The witty banter and mercurial charm?

    2. Re:News for Nerds - Stuff that Matters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For me, it helps occupy the time between now and when I die. I don't have much of a reason to live anymore. Just waiting to see if the world ends in fire or in ice, assuming I don't end myself before that, which is very likely.

      I'd dedicate myself to hunting down immigrants after my job is outsourced, in a strange form of vengeance, but the auto accident twisted my back so walking is difficult. (Go ahead, NSA, look me up; my med records show I'm mostly a threat to a small puppy that I'd trip over and break my hip.)

      Oh well, there's one good thing, still, about life: at least it ends.

  14. Re:Oh yippie by tshawkins · · Score: 1

    Bigot.

  15. Re:Oh yippie by Noah+Haders · · Score: 2

    The only reason diseases like whooping cough are making a comeback in the us is because of socialite antivaxxers. Has nothing to do with foreigners.

  16. Boston... by Famak1994 · · Score: 0

    ...is the Texas of the Northeast! In terms of the upper class acting like a bunch of bigots towards the rest of everyone else...Look no further than Brookline, Newton, and Downtown Boston to see exactly what I mean. I suppose one would figure otherwise but New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine is getting stomped into the ground without a whimper...

  17. Re:US Capital is top imperialist dog by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The real problem is reduced economic mobility, which has been going on for decades. Making everyone equally impoverished isn't empowering anyone except your new socialist overlords.

    There are plenty of countries that are a mix of social and capitalist policies, and where unbridled capitalism is frowned upon. I *like* living in Kanukistan. It's not perfect, but it works. Those "anti-capitalist" banking regulations gave us the safest banking system in the world. No banks went bankrupt, no government bailouts of the banks during the global financial meltdown, no forced mergers or shotgun marriages.

    I guess you could say we're social democrats with a strong capitalist bent.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  18. Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There is probably a lot of bias, problems with the panel, or translation of questions...

    >90% of Frenchs, Jamaicans, Netherlands tech workers 'willing' to work abroad ? Bullshit.

    The 'most appealing cities' census looks equally wrong. London and New York are not havens for Tech,
    unless your include finance, and less than 5% wants to work in the Sillicon Valley ? Crazy !

    All the results are probably just as bogus.

  19. Re:Oh yippie by YouGotTobeKidding · · Score: 0

    Oh bull fucking shit. Its coming via illegal emigrants. Check out the outbreak of fucking scabbies at the border agency holding centers.

  20. Size matters... by amyckono · · Score: 1

    It seems like country size and proximity to other nations would be a factor. Growing up in a country where 5 other nations are only a few hours away makes moving to another country seem less daunting compared to someone living in Texas or California, where you drive for hours between cities. I like to compare European countries to American States, and I'll bet a good percentage of Americans would be willing to explore working and living in another State.

  21. Re:Oh yippie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You will now have to prove that you have not embraced cosmopolitan LIES so as to not permit the appearance of embracing bigoted TRUTH.

  22. Re:Politically correct pablum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That came to an end because:

    1. Hart-Celller Act 1965.
    2. US dollar pulled of gold in 1971. Work no longer paid.
    3. Capital controls lifted in 1974. Hostile powers can influence USA internal affairs by purchasing debt. This is how China has been operating.
    4. Reclassification of South Asians from "White" to "Asian" in the mid 1980s
    5. Union busting since the PATCO strike.

  23. I am So Shocked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    .. no one wants to go to India ?

    1. Re:I am So Shocked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      India doesn't want people, they're just "stealing jobs"... didn't you get the memo?

  24. Re:Oh yippie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The United States, which 42 percent of respondents listed as their top potential work destination, followed by the U.K. (37 percent), Canada (35 percent), Germany (33 percent), Switzerland (29 percent), and France (29 percent).

    Wait a minute, this sounds like a India only survey.

  25. Re:Politically correct pablum by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

    Used to be we had an American culture,

    Really? Based on what? Anything but jingoism and commercialism?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  26. Re:Politically correct pablum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I keep telling the immigrants to leave... before my fellow Americans snap and start shooting them, hanging them, and burning them alive in their homes. They call me names, when I'm trying to save their lives. They just can't imagine that white people would ever regain their historical tendency to utilize violence on vast, industrial scales.

    They should beware the wrath of patient men.

    God, I hope I'm wrong.

  27. Re:Politically correct pablum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We still have American culture. You can see it on /b every day...used to think boxey was a cute girl. Then I saw a video and heard her talk.

  28. And fyi, don't try for France by cstec · · Score: 1

    But citizens in the United States seemed a bit more reluctant to return the favor—less than 50 percent said they either lived abroad or would consider doing so for work. That's in sharp contrast to countries such as France, where a significant majority of citizens seemed willing to explore jobs in other nations. Of course, those who work in tech already know that globalization is a huge issue.

    The elephant in the room is that American citizens aren't allowed overseas, because "We'd be dar to take der jobs!"

    If you work for an established multinational, then you can get placed within that framework, or an within an established academic one, but just try an get a job in France as an American citizen -- it's laughable. They don't even pretend.

    Speak French? Lived as an exchange student in France? Have ultra high-end tech skills? None of that matters once you try it for real. The door for 'skilled immigrant labor', or any labor, only opens towards the U.S. It's a shame there's no WTO for labor, because we could bust the rest of the world for non-tariff trade barriers.

    1. Re:And fyi, don't try for France by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The elephant in the room is that American citizens aren't allowed overseas, because "We'd be dar to take der jobs!"

      You've obviously never visited another country. Fear of taking "our" jobs is a typical American sentiment that is not so common elsewhere.

    2. Re:And fyi, don't try for France by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The reverse perspective is similar. I had a contact that was ok having me for an internship, but apparently the red tape is bullshit enough that he wanted to employ me through the daughter company in France. While getting some internship anywhere the EU is at worse a matter of opening a local bank account.

      Applying for a job online is worse: you are most of the time asked about SAT or GPA scores, without a N/A choice.

    3. Re:And fyi, don't try for France by Gryle · · Score: 1

      Can you point to any information sources for those claims? I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely curious. I'm aware of the difficulties of emigrating to Japan but I hadn't realized the same attitude was prevalent in Europe, beyond a certain amount of protectionism in their economic sectors.

      --
      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not entirely sure about the universe - Einstein
    4. Re:And fyi, don't try for France by netsavior · · Score: 1

      because other countries protect their citizens against such practices. They don't worry about it because they don't have to, the barrier for entry is much higher than just "Microsoft donated a lot of money to congress so they got 500,000 HIB visas pushed through"

    5. Re:And fyi, don't try for France by cstec · · Score: 1

      A lot of it was walking the walk, but search Amazon for "Working in France" books, or the dearth thereof to get a hint. Or for the full historical retrospective, look for a copy of the book with that very title by Carol Pineau and Maureen Kelly, 1991. That book actually tried to help with a lot of useful advice, but read it without the rose colored glasses and it's pretty dark read. It got worse since then.

  29. Opportunity by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 1

    Despite the viewpoint of many on /., America is still viewed as a place where you can achieve success no matter where you are from. Sure, if you have family connections you have a leg up but you are not limited if you didn't go to the right school or have connections. the "american Dream" is still viewed as a possibility; even for young Americans who see greater opportunities here than abroad. If you make money you are granted access to power a lot quicker in America than in many other countries; and it is easier to start from nothing and make it here than in many places; so I am not surprised by the results.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
    1. Re:Opportunity by dave420 · · Score: 1

      You are drinking the kool-aid. Just look at the wealth gap between rich and poor - clearly the dream is just that - a dream.

    2. Re:Opportunity by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 1

      You are drinking the kool-aid. Just look at the wealth gap between rich and poor - clearly the dream is just that - a dream.

      The wealth gap is mostly irrelevant in the discussion of opportunity. There are plenty of wealthy people that started with nothing. And even more that are comfortable that came from similar circumstances. The question was why do immigrants see the US as desirable place to move to and the answer is, in part, because they see an opportunity to better their lives vs other places. It's not perfect but still is preferential to many others. Don't let your drinking the 'I'm not rich so life is unfair and I'm a poor victim' Kool-Aid blind you to reality.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  30. How many Europeans are willing to leave the EU? by istartedi · · Score: 1

    If you live in Europe, chances are you've visited much of the continent. Thus, taking a job in another country isn't that big of a leap. If you live in the US, you've probably visited much of the lower 48. If you move from Boston to LA, it's quite a culture shock but in this survey it isn't considered a move because the United States is a country made up of united states. I think it might be more interesting to see how many Europeans are willing to leave the EU for work.

    --
    For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
  31. Re:Oh yippie by Noah+Haders · · Score: 1

    The biggest concentration of pediatric whooping cough is in 90210.

  32. Nobody loves commies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nobody wants to go to China?
    What a shock.

  33. Re: Oh yippie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Genuine dumb, trolling as hobby.

  34. " Boston is very different from Chicago" by aepervius · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes but it is the same language the same "ground" culture and politics common history, common perspective vs the world or past etc.... On the other hand going from France to , say, england is a huge difference in all of those. Different perspective. Different history. Uncommon languages, uncommon ground culture, uncommon view vis a vis politess or respect, uncommon religions heck (anglican church versus majority catholicism) , uncommon politic, "off with her head" versus "god save trhe queen".

    Any American I know have to admit that whereas the difference between american state are there, they are nowhere near the difference between countries in the world even if you take something as local as europe.

    Well if you want to get local custom difference , I am betting I would get as much difference from province sud France to the valenciennois where my family comes from, as between boston and chicago.

    Look your country is big we get it. But the culture despite local differences is far more uniform than you would imagine if you compare to the rest of the world.

    --
    C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
    visit randi.org
    1. Re:" Boston is very different from Chicago" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      D'accord! I agree completely - while the US certainly has diversity, it tends to be homogenised - for some of the reasons you mentioned. Of the places I've been to, London has felt the most "diverse" - almost like a microcosm of the world itself. I've met people from all parts of the world here. Paris is a close second.

    2. Re:" Boston is very different from Chicago" by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      The point was diversity welcomes people from all over the world. Are you saying that is wrong? Could an Armenian or Dutch or Indian not find a welcoming community with a little research?

      I can understand England and France hating each other as in your example, but that was not the point of the post to which you replied, eh?

    3. Re:" Boston is very different from Chicago" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes but it is the same language the same "ground" culture and politics common history, common perspective vs the world or past etc.... On the other hand going from France to , say, england is a huge difference in all of those. Different perspective. Different history. Uncommon languages, uncommon ground culture, uncommon view vis a vis politess or respect, uncommon religions heck (anglican church versus majority catholicism) , uncommon politic, "off with her head" versus "god save trhe queen".

      I got all of those, and more, by moving from Minnesota to Richmond, VA. Hell, even the US History books are different (see: War of Northern Aggression.)

    4. Re:" Boston is very different from Chicago" by bungo · · Score: 1

      Northern France.... that's a very Ch'ti place. Very different from the south.

      (Pronounce 'ch' as 'sh'.)

      (Sorry, I suppose most people won't understand that...)

      --
      "The best part? I became an ordained minister while not wearing pants." -- CleverNickName
  35. Re:US Capital is top imperialist dog by Kariles70 · · Score: 1

    Pfftttt~~~ tell all of that that to the 96,000,000 people unemployed right now. With this many people out of work, we really need more cheap laborers. Oh yeah. And our brilliant government will import them.

  36. Re:Politically correct pablum by Cyberax · · Score: 1

    You mean that all those English yippees should take their Mayflower and GTFO back to England? Yeah, I've heard that sentiment from my fellow Americans. The _real_ Native Americans, I mean.

  37. from the UK by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

    Fuck off already, it's overcrowded here, the property values are already in a stupid bubble, why don't you go somewhere where the cost of living isn't insane and getting worse.

    http://www.theguardian.com/uk-...

    "the typical cost per individual employee of renting somewhere to live and leasing office space to $120,000 (£73,800) a year."[in London]

    But half of these employees are getting little more than minimum wage, whilst the city leaches pull the average wage up.

    --
    Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
  38. Why not Africa? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anybody?
    Why aren't millions of non-Africans moving to Africa every year?

  39. Legends... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It seems that Germany still exports twice the amount of electrical energy it imports over all and that the export/import to France equals out.

    71,827 TWh exported in 2013, 35,794 TWh imported in 2013.

    http://www.renewablesinternational.net/german-power-exports-still-more-valuable-than-imports/150/537/79015/
    The article contains a complex link to the raw data of the German office of statistics.

    Especially in extreme summer and extreme winter France needs to import electricity because they are lacking water to cool their nuclear power plants.

  40. Re:Oh yippie by erikkemperman · · Score: 1

    Take a look at his comments.. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so consistently moderated -1. Personally I think he's on some kind of long term false-flag crusade to discredit conservatives. But, if you like this sort of thing, there are some real gems in there:

    As for Jesus, I hope the Koch brothers will help bring Him to California, forcibly if necessary.

    --
    Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
  41. Re:US Capital is top imperialist dog by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1

    One way to improve economic mobility when there are a surplus of unemployed and underemployed is to reduce the work week. We've been having annual gains in productivity of 2% per year for decades - there's no reason why we shouldn't go to a 32 hour work week.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  42. Re:Oh yippie by StrangeBrew · · Score: 1

    As an outsider, I'd look at things like racial tension, national debt, water quality issues, projected and substantiated climate changes, employment rate, education system, human rights issues, level of government interference and tolerance for invasion of privacy... I'm guessing the majority of those polled considered little of this.

  43. Best for global worker==Worst for American worker by Eravnrekaree · · Score: 1

    What this article is basically saying is that the US is most encouraging of helping foreingers steal the jobs of the huge number of highly qualified US programmers and IT workers who are having difficulty finding work due to it being stolen by third world labor. The third world labor is all about corporate profits and some greedy elites obsession and wall streets out of control greed and lust for profits, to hire cheap, but usually inferior, third world labor. Let third world IT people help build their own countries economies and stop letting them come to the US. In globalisation the losers are the common people of any country, in the USA american computer programmers are being thrown out on the street and their jobs are stolen from them, whilst in third world countries they are losing their best talent due to the brain drain, with all of their best workers leaving, the third world countries remain poor. If we care about third world countries we should kill the H1B program and stop all immigration. If we care about American workers, we should kill the H1B program and stop immigration. The globalist elite are ruining the USA and destroying the lives of American citizens while they keep the third world in the dark ages.

    The only responsibility of the US government is to secure US sovereignty for its own people. There is no right to immigrate to another country and therefore a country has a right to control immigration however and according to whatever rules it wants. Since there is no right to immigrate, a country could pass laws against immigration on any criteria it chooses. A country only has a responsibility to protecting the territorial exclusivity of its own native citizens, to whom the country belongs. A country is not the government, it is the citizens of the country, and the government's duty is to protect the citizens from foreign incursions and to assure that the countries resources, jobs etc are exclusively for the benefit of native born citizens. The USA is a mature country. The days of the old west are gone, the west has been cultivated and the westward expansion long ago has been filled out. There are already enough people in the USA at this point and we should seal the borders now. At this point, the USAs policies should seal off the borders from all immigration and focus on protecting the resources for population that is already here and for the future internal growth of the existing population.

  44. Re:Best for global worker==Worst for American work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Afraid to compete in a global landscape because some guy in India can do what you do. Afraid of competition? Afraid that you are less valuable to somebody than some Chinese dude? Seriously? Just be more innovative and smarter than that bro, instead of inflating your value by blocking others.

    Increased competition increases invention and innovation.

  45. Re:Best for global worker==Worst for American work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's BS to claim the US is "full" .. I guess you have never flown in an airplane? There's vast amounts of uninhabited land and deserts. The more people working, the more innovation and cheaper goods will be. What's harming the US is the high minimum wage. The high minimum wage is increasing the cost of goods and services immensely. Look would you rather earn $1000 and have your expenses be $1500, or would you rather earn $500 and have your expenses be $200? How can anybody sell anything cheap when their labor costs are insanely high? When items cost more to manufacture, they have to be sold for a higher price. Higher prices means less people would buy the item. This causes production to reduce, and that means SUPPLY is less. When SUPPLY is less, the COST of goods INCREASE. Every time you increase the minimum wage, you cause price inflation worse than the wage increase. We have been increasing the minimum wage for decades and yet it has never been enough .. and what I just explained is the reason for that.

    Similarly, foreign workers reduce the cost of production.

  46. Re:US Capital is top imperialist dog by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh, do you realize the 5 day work week is your choice? Just tell your boss you want to work 32 hours, if your're replaceable he'll probably fire you. That said, if you were known (or thought of) to be skilled enough he would probably agree to it because the alternative would be a bigger loss.

  47. Re:Oh yippie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The national debt in the US isn't a problem. What's a problem is how we're using the money. The debt is presently $17.85tn and our GDP is $16.244 which isn't really that much money. A responsible person buying a house will have more debt compared with income than the US does.

    The issue I have with it is that we're using the money to fund an outsized military and tax cuts for the greedy.

    As far as the education system goes, despite what you might have heard, it's still one of the best in the world. The only studies I've seen claiming to compare it with other systems do so in an incredibly lazy way that doesn't take into account the differences in educational goals in various parts of the world.

  48. Re:US Capital is top imperialist dog by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1
    First rule of business management: EVERYONE is replaceable.
    Second rule of business management: If you find someone is irreplaceable, FIRE the person who was responsible for that happening, then replace the "irreplaceable" person.
    Third rule of business management: Go to rule 1.

    Seriously, everyone had darned well better be replaceable, or the fate of your business/project/whatever is at risk. Which is why we need a mandated 32-hour week - everyone is ultimately replaceable, including the so-called "irreplaceable" people.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  49. Funny. I saw the same thing said about others by MakersDirector · · Score: 0

    This is comical actually.

    I saw the same thing was said about China, the UK and Germany too through local national papers while visiting those countries last week.

    Guess we do so enjoy thinking we're #1. When the reality is everyone thinks the same thing.

  50. Not Dubai? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It has the same basic philosophy, lots of money from lucky, criminal, or unsavory actions. Right wing nutjob mentality. No social services education, philosophy, or legal rights for the workers who come. No IP rights for creators and innovators (smart people are wierd and scary!)

    Get paid and leave. You don't want to raise kids there or try and make art, or have a life. Or deal with the citizenry
     
    .
    But in Dubai or the UAE they pay better :P