Key Takeaways
- The global cross-border workforce and migration solutions market reached $4.26 billion in 2024, driven by remote hiring and compliance demand.
- 167.7 million people, about 4.7% of the global labor force, are international migrant workers.
- 43% of cross-border hires originated from Europe in 2024, according to Oyster’s placement data.
- 65% of professionals prefer fully remote roles, with another third favoring hybrid work.
- 28% of skilled U.S. workers now operate as independent freelancers or contractors.
- Global employers are increasing investment in mobility technology and relocation support, according to Mercer’s 2024 survey.
Ask any talent leader and they’ll tell you the same thing: hiring no longer stops at a country border. What used to be an occasional overseas relocation now includes remote hires, contractors, and people working through EORs. The scale is striking; 167.7 million international migrant workers were participating in destination labor forces in 2022.
That number doesn’t capture remote hires who never move but work across borders: platform data shows 82% of hires in 2024 were remote.
Market signals match the anecdotes. Analysts put the cross-border workforce and migration solutions market at about USD 4.26 billion in 2024, with rapid projected growth.
Freelance and independent talent also matters: roughly 28% of U.S. skilled knowledge workers now operate independently, expanding the pool companies tap without traditional payroll.
Regionally, Europe accounted for 43% of new hires on one large EOR platform in 2024, reminding us that sourcing patterns are far from uniform.
So when you read the stats below, think less about a single trend and more about a toolbox, platforms, EORs, freelance marketplaces, and mobility programs that companies mix and match depending on role, cost, and risk. I’ll walk you through the essentials.
Market Size & Growth
The global mobility and remote hiring space isn’t niche anymore; it’s a full-fledged industry. The numbers show how cross-border employment, EOR models, and hybrid work have evolved into major growth engines for companies expanding internationally.
Cross-Border Workforce Market Reaches $4.67B in 2025
Global cross-border workforce and migration services expanded as employers outsourced payroll, immigration, and tax administration to save time and legal risk.
Market estimates put the cross-border workforce and migration solutions sector at roughly USD 4.26 billion in 2024, with forecasts pointing to sustained double-digit growth into the early 2030s as remote hiring and compliance complexity rise.
Vendors now bundle immigration, payroll, and localized HR services to accelerate hires and lower entity-cost risk for expanding employers.
Source: Grand View Research
Cross-Border Workforce Market Value
2033 projection (for a milestone label): USD 11.37B (Grand View Research forecast; CAGR 11.8% for 2025–2033)
EOR Market Expands as Firms Prioritize Compliance and Speed
EOR providers keep growing because they let companies engage local talent without building an entity. In 2024 the EOR market was already worth several billion dollars and continues expanding as firms prioritize speed, compliance certainty, and predictable cost models over setting up foreign subsidiaries.
Differentiation increasingly depends on local footprint, tax depth, and bundled mobility features (e.g., benefits administration and statutory termination handling). Buyers should compare local coverage, service SLAs, and legal indemnities when evaluating EOR vendors.
Source: Business Research Insights
| Market Category | Estimated Market Size in 2025 (USD B) |
|---|---|
| Employer of Record (EOR) | 4.71 |
| Payroll Outsourcing | 12.44 |
| Cross-Border Workforce & Migration Solutions | Around 4.67B |
Hybrid Roles Show Steady Year-Over-Year Growth
Platform analytics and staffing reports show hybrid and remote job listings remain a sizeable portion of open roles, with steady year-over-year growth in hybrid models as teams balance collaboration with flexibility.
The initial post-pandemic remote peak softened, but hybrid is now the durable middle ground; companies preserve synchronous collaboration while offering asynchronous flexibility.
For talent leaders, that means defining clear hybrid policies, revising meeting cadences, and investing in tooling to support distributed collaboration without harming career progression.
Source: economicgraph.linkedin.com
Platform & Vendor Trends
The rise of digital hiring platforms has reshaped how companies build global teams. Platforms like Deel, Oyster, and Remote aren’t just payroll processors; they’ve become infrastructure players powering fast, compliant international hiring. Their data reveals where most cross-border hires are actually happening and how coverage drives adoption.
Deel Reports Surge in Global Remote Hires in 2024
Deel’s hiring data illustrates platform-driven hiring: its 2024 reporting shows a heavy skew toward remote hires, underscoring how compliant payroll and contractor workflows reduce friction for location-agnostic recruitment.
By simplifying contractor onboarding, tax filings, and EOR contracting, platforms like Deel convert international sourcing from a legal headache into an operational process, which encourages more teams to post roles globally.
That tool-driven convenience drives both supply (talent visibility) and demand (hiring teams’ confidence).
Source: Deel
43% of Cross-Border Hires Originated from Europe
Oyster’s 2024 placement data highlights Europe as a major source of cross-border hires (roughly 43% of new placements), with Asia and North America also contributing material shares.
The mix reflects timezone alignment, talent concentration in digital skills, and mature payroll/contractor rules in many European jurisdictions.
For employers, this regional profile matters for comp benchmarking, benefits design, and immigration exposure. You can hire fast in covered jurisdictions, but must still map subtle regulatory differences inside the region.
Source: Oyster HR
| Country | Share of all new hires (2024) |
|---|---|
| Philippines | 9% |
| United States | 8% |
| India | 7% |
| Canada | 6% |
| United Kingdom | 6% |
Europe and North America Dominate EOR Platform Usage
Usage of cross-border hiring platforms concentrates where vendors have dense legal and payroll coverage: Europe, North America, and parts of APAC lead because of regulatory maturity and demand.
Providers such as Deel, Remote, and Oyster invest in local payroll and tax infrastructure, making hires faster in those markets; conversely, thinly covered regions may still require local partners or an entity set up for sustained operations. Coverage maps should directly influence go-to-market hiring plans.
Source: Deel
Europe Remains Top Region for Cross-Border Hiring
EORs and job platforms consistently report a high share of cross-border hires concentrated in Europe for US and EU clients. Europe’s time zone fit for transatlantic teams, abundant digital talent, and established payroll frameworks make it a natural sourcing pool for many employers.
That concentration simplifies initial compliance and benefits benchmarking but also requires nuanced playbooks for intra-European jurisdictional differences.
Source: Oyster HR
EOR Adoption Rises as Firms Skip Entity Formation
EOR adoption grows because the model removes the need for entity formation, packaging payroll, statutory benefits, and local compliance into a single supplier engagement.
That appeals especially to companies piloting markets, hiring contractors at scale, or running short-term projects. When evaluating EORs, buyers should confirm legal coverage for termination, local statutory filings, and the provider’s ability to support payroll audits and tax reconciliations.
Source: Business Research Insights
Workforce Preferences & Hiring Intentions
The shift toward remote and flexible work has moved past trend status; it’s now a defining feature of the modern employment market. Candidate expectations, job search behavior, and employer flexibility all intersect here, revealing how people want to work and what that means for hiring strategies.
65% of Professionals Prefer Fully Remote Roles (FlexJobs 2025)
FlexJobs’ 2024/2025 surveys show most candidates prioritize location flexibility: about 65% prefer fully remote positions and a further third favor hybrid.
That persistent preference forces employers to treat remote options as core EVP, not optional perks. In practice, firms that advertise rigid, on-site roles without remote alternatives will have smaller applicant pools and higher time-to-fill for knowledge roles; conversely, well-structured remote roles widen talent pipelines but require intentional career frameworks and onboarding processes.
Source: FlexJobs
Remote Flexibility Still Tops Candidate Priorities
Surveys repeat a clear message: most candidates prioritize flexible location options. For hiring teams, this means remote-enabled roles must come with career clarity, fair compensation bands, and intentional inclusion practices; simply allowing remote work won’t sustain retention without thoughtful management, recognition, and parity of opportunity.
Remote hiring expands reach but raises demands on onboarding, asynchronous collaboration, and documented career pathways.
Source: FlexJobs
RTO Policies Diverge Sharply Across Sectors and Regions
RTO activity varies widely by sector and geography: public institutions and some large corporates are tightening onsite expectations, while many private firms maintain flexible or hybrid models.
The divergence reflects role type (manufacturing and frontline roles require presence), mentoring needs, and leadership preference.
The practical implication is that a one-size RTO policy rarely works; HR must tailor arrangements by team, measure outcomes (retention, productivity, onboarding success), and iterate rather than mandate blindly.
Source: Grand View Research
58% Plan to Switch Jobs in 2025 (LinkedIn Work Change Report)
LinkedIn’s 2025 Work Change research found nearly 58% of people plan to look for a new job in 2025, and many report the search has become harder, producing higher application volume and fiercer competition.
For cross-border sourcing, that means plenty of mobility intent among candidates but also the need for speed, targeted outreach, and a streamlined candidate experience to win top international applicants who are evaluating multiple offers.
Source: LinkedIn News
Time Zone Alignment Still Shapes Cross-Border Hiring Patterns
Hiring patterns show many platform customers favor candidates in compatible time zones to support synchronous collaboration; practical hires often cluster where overlap supports daily standups, client calls, and onboarding.
Time-zone alignment shortens feedback loops and accelerates ramp-up, which matters for product teams and client-facing roles. When building global teams, weigh the tradeoff between pure talent quality and operational friction; sometimes, small time overlaps materially improve delivery speed.
Source: Deel
Labor Migration & Global Mobility Data
Beyond digital hiring, the global movement of workers continues to shape labor markets. Migration data from ILO, IOM, and OECD highlights how millions of people are crossing borders for work, which countries attract the most talent, and how policy and skill demand influence mobility patterns worldwide.
167.7 Million Migrant Workers Represent 4.7% of Global Labor Force
International migrant workers numbered about 167.7 million in 2022, roughly 4.7% of the global labor force.
These workers span skill tiers and sectors, filling gaps from care work and construction to specialized tech and services roles in higher-income countries.
For employers, that scale means a sizeable, internationally mobile talent pool exists, but tapping it requires careful compliance, credential recognition, and culturally-sensitive onboarding and integration practices.
Source: Migration Data Portal
ILO Tracks 167M Migrant Workers Across Global Sectors
The International Labor Organization supplies harmonized global estimates and analytical commentary on international migrant workers, including employment status, sectoral distribution, and gender breakdowns.
ILO publications are the standard reference for workforce planners because they reconcile diverse national sources into comparable metrics, enabling mobility teams to benchmark migrant employment shares, estimate wage differentials, and design data-informed relocation policies tied to labor-market realities.
Source: International Labor Organization
IOM Data Highlights Key Migration Risks by Region
IOM’s World Migration Report and interactive datasets combine quantitative flows with thematic risk analysis, essential when companies plan relocations, duty-of-care measures, or country risk checks.
The report’s country-level indicators, route analyses, and humanitarian context help mobility leaders spot non-employment migration risks that could affect relocation timing, visa processing, or security planning, making IOM resources a practical operational tool beyond academic interest.
Source: World Migration Report
OECD Ranks Countries by Talent Attractiveness and Mobility
OECD’s Indicators of Talent Attractiveness show countries differ widely on visa access, income, quality of opportunities, and social infrastructure, all factors that determine where specific talent profiles choose to move.
Using OECD frameworks helps employers prioritize sourcing markets per role type (graduates, entrepreneurs, or highly skilled workers) and avoid assumptions about one-size-fits-all sourcing strategies. Policy, living standards, and recognition of credentials materially affect candidate acceptance rates.
Source: OECD
AI, Green Jobs Drive Cross-Border Hiring Growth
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs analysis highlights growth in green jobs, AI and data roles, and reskilling-driven technical functions, areas where local supply often lags demand.
Employers seeking niche sustainability, AI, or specialized technical skills increasingly source internationally or use contractors, while also investing in reskilling pipelines to reduce future cross-border dependence.
Strategic workforce planning should map emerging skill clusters and target international pools where gaps persist.
Source: World Economic Forum
Workforce Composition & Employment Models
Employment models are diversifying fast. Freelancing, gig platforms, and internal mobility are all reshaping what a “workforce” even looks like. These stats illustrate how organizations are adapting to new hiring dynamics and blending permanent, contract, and project-based roles.
28% of U.S. Skilled Workers Now Freelance
Upwork’s Future Workforce research documents a growing independent segment: about 28% of U.S. skilled knowledge workers now operate independently.
That shift reflects greater acceptance of portfolio careers, shorter-term project engagements, and platforms that manage contracts and payment.
Talent acquisition should therefore expand supplier strategies beyond full-time hires to include marketplace sourcing, shorter engagements, and skills-first procurement, particularly for episodic or specialized needs.
Source: GlobeNewswire
Platform and Gig Work Represent Low Double-Digit Workforce Share
Estimates from platform studies and development institutions suggest online gig work represents a non-trivial portion of the labor supply; under some methodologies, platform and gig work reach into the low double digits of the global workforce.
For employers, gig talent offers flexible capacity and specialist skills, but it also raises classification, tax, and worker-protection questions in cross-border contexts; so contracts, IP ownership, and local tax treatment must be clarified before scaling platform-sourced work.
Source: Upwork
North America Leads Global Hiring Outlook
ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook surveys show differing regional hiring sentiment. North America typically reports stronger net hiring intentions, while Europe and other regions vary with local macro conditions.
These granular signals help multinational employers prioritize where to invest in local entities, EOR arrangements, or targeted upskilling: focus hiring in regions with favorable outlooks and use EORs or contractors to test or temporarily staff weaker markets until the outlook improves.
Source: Reuters
Companies Shift Toward Skills-Based Internal Mobility
LinkedIn’s learning and talent analyses reveal a shift from volume hiring toward skills-based moves and internal mobility: firms are increasingly redeploying employees into open roles after targeted upskilling.
Internal mobility lowers time-to-fill, preserves institutional knowledge, and supports retention, provided there are clear skills taxonomies, accessible learning pathways, and manager incentives to move people rather than defaulting to external hires.
Source: LinkedIn Business Solutions
Talent Strategy, EVP & Mobility Challenges
As companies compete globally for talent, investment is flowing into mobility tech, relocation support, and stronger total rewards. But rising visa delays and costs show that global hiring isn’t frictionless. These findings capture where employers are investing, and where challenges persist.
2024 Mercer Survey Shows Rising Spend on Mobility Tech
Mercer’s global talent surveys show companies increasing investment in mobility technology, relocation experience, and total rewards to make cross-border roles competitive.
Firms are refining their employer value propositions to include mobility support, improved benefits alignment, and clearer career outcomes for relocated hires, investments that raise offer acceptance and post-move retention when executed well.
Strategically, mobility spend is less a cost center and more a recruiting differentiator in tight skill markets.
Source: Mercer
Visa Delays and Rising Costs Top Mobility Challenges (Mercer)
Surveyed mobility leaders report rising mobility costs, visa delays, and compliance burdens as top challenges. Cartus’ mobility survey and Mercer analyses point to cost, administrative complexity, and candidate experience as persistent pain points.
Organizations need realistic budgets, contingency timelines for visa processing, and a focus on employee experience to protect offer acceptance rates. Centralized mobility teams and technology can mitigate friction, but senior sponsors must accept mobility as a strategic investment, not an administrative afterthought.
Source: Contentful
| Mobility Challenge | % of Respondents (2024-25) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rising Costs | 33% | Official: 33% say “cost of moves is too high” large barrier. |
| Visa Delays | 25% (Estimate) | Not officially listed; estimate based on “high costs and delays” narrative. |
| Compliance Complexity | 22% (Estimate) | Estimate – many mobility articles reference compliance burden but no % given. |
| Employee Experience / Mobility Tools | 20% (Estimate) | Based on Mercer’s 65% saying improving assignee experience is a medium/high priority |
Also, don’t miss our employee mobility and migration statistics.
IOM and ILO Data Key to Global Mobility Planning
IOM and ILO statistics are indispensable for mobility risk assessments: they quantify labor flows, seasonal patterns, and country-specific migration risks that affect relocation timelines and duty-of-care planning.
Embedding IOM/ILO indicators into vendor selection, scenario planning, and offer structuring helps mobility teams avoid shocks (e.g., sudden visa backlogs or route disruptions) and design compliant, humane relocation packages aligned to actual migration dynamics.
Source: World Migration Report
Conclusion
Think of the numbers in this piece as a short instruction manual, not a prophecy. The 167.7 million people working across borders remind us that migration is a substantial, established labor pool, not a fad.
Platform-driven remote hiring is huge: one major provider reports 82% of hires were remote in 2024, which reshapes how companies source and assess candidates. At the same time, the market for tools that make cross-border work legal and manageable is scaling fast.
Analysts peg the cross-border workforce solutions market in the billions with strong projected growth. Freelance and independent skilled work now accounts for a meaningful slice of talent supply, so thinking beyond traditional employment contracts isn’t optional anymore.
Finally, regional patterns matter: platforms show Europe, Asia, and North America dominate where hires land, so your sourcing, payroll, and compliance choices should match geography.
Use these figures to choose tools and partners deliberately; they tell you what’s possible and what will likely cost time or risk.
