What Areas of the World have the Greatest Demand for Finance Professionals?

Globally, the demand for finance professionals is on the increase as the economy continues to recover from its most recent downturn. As with all things involving the economy and job market, however, the need for financial professionals is not equal in all countries. Some simply have a greater overall need for financial services professionals than others. As finance professionals and recent graduates look for jobs abroad, they should consider some of the countries with the best growth rates and financial services industries around the world.

1. United Kingdom

The London financial sector is one of the best and largest in the world, and that means plenty of jobs exist for financial services professionals at all levels. London is often considered equal to New York in terms of the competitiveness of its jobs, the weight of its financial trends and decisions, and the required pedigree of applicants who will eventually be hired to make these crucial decisions. Salaries in London are also among the highest in the world, which helps to offset the famously high cost of living in this international capital of business and finance.

2. Germany

While London is considered a leader in global finance, Germany is often considered the regional leader of European finance and economics. The country represents the largest economy in the Eurozone and, because of this, has a large financial sector that helps to set policy for this massive union of economic interests.

3. Canada

Canada is often overlooked as a center of financial services employment because of its proximity to the world’s largest economy and the global center of financial services employment and job development. Even so, Canada represents a major part of the global and North American economy, with a large number of jobs in natural resources and mining that lend themselves to unique investments, financial decisions, and managerial finance activities. As a result, growth in the profession is robust in Canada, especially in the Toronto and Vancouver metropolitan areas.

4. Hong Kong

Thanks to its history as a British colony, Hong Kong has a deserved reputation of serving as the one country bridging east and west. Its economy is reflective of this, with heavy involvement by western and Chinese authorities. Because of its central position in Asian finance, Hong Kong hires a larger number of financial professionals who often come from the top schools in the UK and United States. Employment growth in Hong Kong remains high, and salaries are growing even faster.

5. Japan

The Japanese economy was once the world’s fastest growing, but it has cooled off over the past two decades. Despite the slowdown, Japan’s stock market and financial services sector represents a significant area of employment and salary growth. As the country emerges from a prolonged economic downturn that began during the late 1990s, financial services experts can expect greater hiring and a premium salary commensurate with experience.

Five Great International Destinations for Finance Jobs

Finance jobs in the United States are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to influencing the global economy and putting financial expertise to work. Massive employment growth is expected in places like London, Hong Kong, Toronto, and many other international cities. As a result, countries from Canada to Germany represent the places where demand for finance professionals is very high and expected to increase over the next several years.