More college graduates in Taiwan are willing to remain in their country to work than travel overseas, according a study from HR services firm 104 Corp.

According to a survey of 600,000 college graduates, in the last five years, on average, only 4% were willing to work overseas upon graduation. The top three regions were China, the US and ASEAN countries. Furthermore, the number of college graduates wanting to work overseas has gradually decreased every year, from 6.1% in 2018 to 2.4% in 2022.

The pandemic has shifted popularity among Taiwan students on the top choices for location of overseas work. With China’s strict Covid policy, other countries have emerged as more popular destinations for work.

Contributing to the decrease in interest to work overseas is the large shortage of domestic workers and direct entry of fresh graduates into the workplace, survey results show.

Research also indicates that students were not ready to adapt to the sudden cultural, political, and environmental changes of living and working abroad, such as heavy traffic, language barriers, religious customs, and strict laws.