London most desirable city for overseas workers as UK popularity drops

London may be the most desirable city for overseas workers worldwide, but the UK as a whole has fallen down the desirability list, according to research from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and totaljobs.

The Decoding Global Talent 2018 report found that London has retained its position as number one since 2014, this year chosen by 366,000 workers from nearly 200 countries.

Despite London remaining the first choice city for workers, researchers found that the UK has fallen from the second-most popular country worldwide for overseas workers to fifth since 2014, potentially exposing the impact of the Brexit vote two years ago. The US, Germany, Canada and Australia now all rank higher than Britain in terms of attractiveness.

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“London’s enduring attractiveness does not appear to have been impacted by the European referendum, and the city’s cosmopolitan reputation as a welcoming, open city for overseas workers remains,” said Mike Booker, International Director at totaljobs and MD of The Network.