International work experience in Europe/ Which countries lead and why?

2026-01-20 22:56:06, Kosova & Bota CNA

Working in more than one country can improve employees' adaptability, self-confidence and cultural intelligence. In the European Single Market, 17% of job seekers have had international work experience, giving them a taste of life away from their home country.

The opportunity to work abroad has a strong impact on career paths, as employees develop skills they might not have cultivated at home. Thanks to Europe's status as a single market, the number of people who have worked abroad is relatively high, but where in Europe do employees have the most international experience?

Employment platform Indeed defines "internationally mobile workers" as those who have at least one work experience in a country other than where they currently live.

At the end of 2025, 16.7% of job seekers in the single market had international experience on their CV, according to employment platform Indeed. By comparison, only about 5.1% of workers in the United States had international mobility.

“The high share of internationally mobile workers in Europe reflects both policies that support mobility and the value placed on cross-border professional experience,” said Sneha Puri, immigration policy analyst at Indeed.

Indeed's data covers eight European countries, one of which is no longer part of the single market, and the weight of international work experience varies significantly between them.

Switzerland and Ireland: relatively smaller economies

Switzerland has the highest proportion of foreign work experience, with more than half of job seekers (51%) reporting experience abroad. This figure is higher than two in five (42%) in Ireland. These two countries are exceptions.

Germany ranks third, with a quarter of job seekers having work experience abroad. This share is also higher than one in five job seekers in Spain and the United Kingdom.

Foreign work experience is higher than the Single Market average in both the Netherlands and France.

Geographic proximity and size of economies

Sneha Puri noted that there are several factors contributing to the changing levels of internationally mobile workers across Europe.

"Geographical proximity plays an important role in movement within the single market. Countries located near several large labour markets tend to experience more cross-border mobility and facilitate movement within the single market," she said.

For example, internationally mobile employees in Switzerland can very easily come from one of its many neighboring countries, such as Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Liechtenstein.

Puri explained that some European countries also attract more intercontinental immigrants than others, either due to the presence of more multinational corporations, or due to the higher number of international students.

Referring to Switzerland and Ireland, she added: “Finally, and perhaps one of the biggest factors, is the number of employees in the economy itself.”

European job seekers look beyond borders

Indeed data shows that job seekers in the European single market are increasingly looking for opportunities outside their home countries, both within the bloc and beyond. This interest falls into two categories.

Interest within the single market refers to job searches by employees in one member state for roles in another member state.

Outbound interest includes searches by job seekers in member countries for jobs in non-member countries.

The two rates were roughly equal until mid-2024, typically fluctuating between 2% and 4%. From December 2024, however, the outgoing interest rate began to rise, peaking at 7.2% in October 2025. The interest rate within the single market remains at 5.4%.

The US and the UK are the main destinations outside the European single market for job searches outside the bloc. In 2025, they accounted for 40.5% and 30.4% of these searches respectively, with Germany as the main country of origin for both destinations.

The United Kingdom left the Single Market after Brexit at the end of 2020.