WEC: Social Impact Report 2026

WEC Report: Social Impact Report 2026 – Borderless Talent

Labor markets are becoming increasingly imbalanced in an unsustainable way. While some countries continue to struggle with high unemployment and a high availability of talent, others grapple with persistent labor and skill shortages. Aging populations, declining labor force participation, and shifting demands compound these pressures, particularly in sectors like healthcare, care, construction, and certain areas of the digital economy. As a result, the gap between where people are located and where jobs are located is widening.

This raises an important question: could international talent mobility help connect these two spheres? For WEC, the answer is increasingly yes, but only on the condition that we build the right system around it.

International talent mobility is not simply about moving people from one country to another. It is about matching workers to jobs based on their skills and competences, while creating pathways that benefit workers, employers, and the countries involved. There are already examples showing what this can look like in practice.

Take Egypt as an example. Of the 11.1 million Egyptians working abroad, 62% (7.1 million people) remain in the Arab region. Rather than treating this as a total loss, Egypt’s new labor law, in effect since September 2025, modernized worker protections and introduced flexible forms of employment and part-time work for the first time, while the private sector minimum wage was raised to EGP 7,000 to boost domestic retention. The EU–Egypt THAMM Plus program, implemented in cooperation with the ILO and the EU, is now creating regular migration pathways to Germany, Italy, and other European countries.

Or look at Luxembourg, where nearly three-quarters of the workforce has an international background. Its government has partnered with private employment services to support international talent through outreach, training, language courses, upskilling, and integration programs.

Europe is also exploring ways to launch such pathways on a larger scale. The EU Talent Pool, officially adopted in early 2026, aims to connect employers with job seekers from outside the EU and streamline international recruitment and matching. Private employment agencies are recognized in it as potential partners helping to identify talent, match skills with labor market needs, and support legal and transparent pathways to employment.

Of course, this is not without challenges. International recruitment requires strong safeguarding mechanisms. Workers need protection, qualifications must be recognized, immigration processes must run smoothly, and recruitment must be transparent and fair. Without the right systems in place, mobility can create risks instead of opportunities. With them, however, it can help resolve real labor shortages while opening doors for individuals whose skills may be needed elsewhere.

Read the WEC Social Impact Report 2026: Borderless Talent to learn about global trends, real-life examples, and practical approaches shaping the future of international talent mobility.