New Zealand ranked as the highest-ranked country for contingent workforce operations in 2015, followed closely by the United States and Canada, according to the third contingent workforce index released by ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN). The US ranked second for the second consecutive year, and Canada moved from seventh to third.

New Zealand jumped to the top of the index as a result of increased weighting on the quality of education and skill among its emerging workforce data points and recent initiatives to attract and retain skilled workers, according to the report. Hong Kong shifted from first to fourth place on the index, a result of increased weighting on English proficiency and the inclusion of total costs of doing business in these markets.

Israel posted the most notable shift on the list, moving up on the index to No. 5 from No. 13 last year. The report stated Israel has begun to dominate a number of global reports, including many published by the World Economic Forum, which has noted Israel as a top market for both the employment of skilled labor and its innovative economy.

The index measures and tracks the relative ease of sourcing, hiring and retaining contingent workforce in 75 countries. Each country in the index is assessed on 50 market conditions and statistics that influence contingent workforce conditions. Countries’ standings reflect a cumulative index ranking based on workforce availability, cost efficiency, regulation and productivity.

“This year, the shifting priorities of clients had a greater impact on the CWI rankings than ever before,” said Kate Donovan, SVP of ManpowerGroup Solutions. “Business leaders are paying more attention to talent shortages, particularly the potential for a shrinking workforce due to an aging population. Rising in importance is a population's English proficiency, given the increased costs that result when proficiency is low. These shifting priorities have resulted in major swings among the most optimal markets for businesses seeking to use a contingent workforce, and the Index is a great tool for ManpowerGroup Solutions and our clients for determining where to expand business operations.”

Here are the 2015 top 10 markets for contingent workforce engagement and their index levels:

1. New Zealand: 2.88
2. United States: 2.87
3. Canada: 2.80
4. Hong Kong: 2.79
5. Israel: 2.79
6. Singapore: 2.75
7. Philippines: 2.71
8. Malaysia: 2.64
9. India: 2.61
10. Ireland: 2.57