1、Global Mobility Has Slowed,but the Race for AI Talent Has NotBCG TOP TALENT TRACKER|Q2 2026BCGs Top Talent Tracker takes the pulse of the worlds talent,helping leaders map the location choices of more than 220 million highly skilled people globally.New in this edition:a first view of research talent

2、.After years of steady expansion,the global mobility of highly skilled talent contracted sharply in 2025.Cross-border moves by highly skilled professionals fell from 3.7 million in 2024 to 3.3 million last yeara drop of 11.6%.That represents just 1.5%of a tracked pool of 221 million highly skilled p

3、rofessionals worldwideroughly 430,000 fewer movers than in 2024.The drop was sharper for specialist talent:STEM at 13%,AI at 12%,and researchers at 19%.Among traditional hubs,Canada,the UK,and Australia have lost share year after yearwith the UK now at risk of ceding second place to the UAE in highl

4、y skilled and AI talent.France and Spain are the exception,holding ground with selective gains.The US gained share in three of four categoriesadding 4.0 percentage points in highly skilled talent and further share in STEM and research talent.AI is the exception:its the one talent category where the

5、US didnt widen its lead,signaling a more contested race for AI talent globally.The US gains come against the backdrop of tighter and more selective immigration policy under the second Trump administration.Yet talent inflows have continued to growsuggesting that pull factors(compensation,opportunity,

6、ecosystem depth)still outweigh policy headwinds for highly skilled workers.The UAE attracted nearly 194,000 highly skilled workers,adding 0.8 points of market share,and Saudi Arabia recorded the highest retention ratio(2.6x)of any major destination.India consolidated its position as the worlds large