Switzerland ranks first in the world for the ability to attract, retain, train and educate skilled workers, according to the 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index. The top three were rounded out by Singapore and the US. The UK ranked ninth this year.

The index covers 125 national economies and 114 cities. The index is published by INSEAD, the Business School for the World, in partnership with the Adecco Group and Tata Communications.

The report confirms that talent issues have become a mainstream concern for firms, nations and cities, with talent performance seen as a critical factor to growth and prosperity. This year’s index has special focus on entrepreneurial talent - how it is being encouraged, nurtured and developed throughout the world and how this affects the relative competitiveness of different economies.

Results from the report showed that the highest-ranking countries and cities tend to be the most open to entrepreneurial talent while digitalisation and globalisation are increasing the role of entrepreneurial talent.

For 2019, the index provided a longitudinal analysis of talent competitiveness based on the results of all the index editions since 2013. The main finding is that the gap separating the talent champions from the rest of the global community has been growing. Talent competitiveness is strengthening in groups of countries where it is already comparatively high and weakening in those where it is relatively low.

Alain Dehaze, Chief Executive Officer, the Adecco Group said: “As the world of work rapidly changes, there is a danger that if countries and cities do not have the right conditions for attracting talent, people and businesses will move away and look for opportunities elsewhere. The results of this year’s GTCI report are further evidence of how entrepreneurial talent is being increasingly seen as one way of successfully navigating a world in constant flux. Nurturing it is a vital part of creating the right environment for talent to flourish and to lay the seeds for success in the future.”

Vinod Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Tata Communications, also commented, “The concept of openness is critical for entrepreneurial talent, and business culture plays a key role here. Businesses and cities need to work hand-in-hand to cultivate cultures of intrapreneurship and a mindset of continuous learning above all else, as the human factor is key to the success of digital transformation. This will help unlock the positive potential that technology brings - especially in a world where humans and machines will work side-by-side and different types of collaboration and ideation emerge.”

The top ten countries are listed below with Europe dominating the rankings.

Bruno Lanvin, Executive Director, Global Indices, INSEAD, and co-editor of the report, commented: “In the top ten of talent competitiveness ranking, only two non-European countries can be seen: Singapore and the USA. This underlines that Europe remains a talent powerhouse, but also that countries with great universities and a strong education sector are best at attracting talents. Because high-level talents are also more mobile internationally, no comparative advantage can be seen as irreversible, and those countries will need to remain open and innovative to keep their leadership.”

Alex Fleming, President and Country Head, the Adecco Group UK&I, commented on the UK’s ninth place rank: "Not only can entrepreneurial talent help the UK navigate the uncertain future of work, but also the challenges and opportunities that will emerge after Brexit. Now more than ever, the government needs to stimulate innovation by creating policies and incentives that will enable and encourage new solutions. Companies and individuals have their part to play too by encouraging continuous training and lifelong learning. Essentially, it will not be the fastest but rather the most adaptable individuals, companies, cities and ultimately countries that will thrive in our future economy."

The top ten cities were ranked below.

The report also stated that cities rather than countries are developing stronger roles as talent hubs and will be crucial to reshaping the global talent scene. “This growing importance of cities is due to their greater flexibility and ability to adapt to new trends and patterns – as nimble economic units where policy can be changed more swiftly, cities are thus more attractive for talent, especially entrepreneurial talent,” the report stated.