According to the latest Expat Insider survey by InterNations, foreign workers in Europe have the highest job satisfaction. Denmark topped the list of countries where expatriates working in Europe reported the highest satisfaction with their professional lives.
The survey, based on feedback from over 12,500 expatriates living and working abroad, reflected their attitudes towards four major themes related to work, including career prospects, compensation and job security, work culture and satisfaction, and work-life balance.
In this survey, five European countries made it to the top ten: Denmark (1st), Belgium (3rd), Netherlands (4th), Luxembourg (5th), and Austria (10th). Expatriates in these countries particularly praised the economic and job security in their new homes, with Luxembourg ranking first in job security satisfaction, where 76% of expatriates were highly satisfied with this aspect.
Here are the top ten countries where expatriates are happiest working abroad:
Ilana Buhl, a writer for “CNBC Make It” and an American teacher who relocated to Denmark, highlighted the positive changes in her work life after moving from Texas to Copenhagen: shorter work weeks, more punctual work hours, five weeks of paid vacation, higher salaries but lower cost of living.
Approximately 84% of expatriates in Denmark are satisfied with their work-life balance, compared to the global average of 60%; the same percentage also expressed satisfaction with their working hours, averaging 39.2 hours per week, as opposed to the global average of 42.5 hours.
According to the annual World Happiness Report, Denmark has consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world.
Outside of work, Buhl enjoys convenient public transportation, public healthcare, affordable daycare services, and generous maternity leave paid for by employers and the government.
Seventy-five percent of new immigrants stated that relocating to Saudi Arabia improved their career prospects, compared to the global average of 56%. Sixty-three percent of new immigrants moved to Saudi Arabia for work-related reasons and expressed satisfaction with the local economic conditions.
Meanwhile, globally only 35% of expatriates stated that they moved abroad for work-related reasons.
A drawback of working in Saudi Arabia may be the long working hours, as expatriates reported needing to work an average of 47.8 hours per week in full-time positions.
Expatriates in Belgium expressed high satisfaction with job security, the local job market, and their own career opportunities.
They appreciated the flexibility in the workplace, with 68% stating they could work remotely, and working full-time for an average of only 40.8 hours per week, shorter than the global average.