Foreign job seekers are showing declining interest in working abroad, according to new data from Indeed, a trend that could complicate global talent acquisition. Between August 2024 and March 2025, the share of clicks from job seekers located outside the hiring country fell to a post-pandemic low of 2.3%, down from a peak of 3.5% in mid-2023. To grasp how global trends are playing out in individual countries, Indeed analyzed foreign job seeker interest in the United States, Germany, Canada, and Australia, each of which over the past few years has exhibited varying levels of overall economic performance and tolerance toward foreign workers.
United States
As of March 2025, just under 20% of all U.S. workers were foreign-born, up from 16.7% in June 2020. Foreign job seeker interest started to trend downward beginning in August 2023, following an upward trend beginning in mid-2021. Interest peaked in August 2023 at 2.4% of clicks. By March 2025, it had fallen to 1.7% of clicks. According to Indeed, the current downward trend could be a response to anti-immigrant rhetoric during the runup to the 2024 presidential election, as well as a reaction to shifts in immigration policy under the Trump administration.
Australia, Canada, and Germany
Australia typically has high overall foreign interest as a proportion of all job posting clicks, peaking at more than 14% in December 2023, consistent with the fact that more than 25% of workers in the country are foreign-born. Foreign interest in German and Canadian jobs stayed closer to 5% for much of the period studied, but all countries saw a sharp decline in foreign interest from late 2024.
In Australia, foreign job seeker interest increased significantly following the end of pandemic-related travel restrictions in early 2022. Later that year, an increase in the annual cap for permanent migrants was announced, which could also have contributed to this spike in foreign interest. The growth rate began to slow in late 2023, and by late 2024, foreign interest started declining noticeably, coinciding with proposals to tighten immigration requirements and the lead up to Parliamentary elections in May 2025.
In Canada, foreign job seeker interest grew steadily from 2021 onwards, peaking at 7.8% of all job posting clicks in July 2023. A downward trend beginning in late 2023 coincides with a major shift in Canadian immigration policy. In 2024, Canada capped international student admissions, slashed student visa approvals by 43%, tightened work permit access for dependents, and began a phase-out of temporary post-pandemic worker policies. In January 2025, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and as the prime minister, setting in motion a search for his successor. His successor, Mark Carney, has continued to maintain limitations on immigration levels since coming to office in March 2025.
In Germany, foreign interest in jobs peaked at 6.7% of all job posting clicks in August 2024 before falling to a four-year low of 3.5% by February 2025. While the Skilled Immigration Act—implemented in March 2020 under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel—was designed to streamline entry for non-EU skilled workers, its rollout coincided with the onset of the pandemic, which severely limited mobility and may have delayed the law’s full impact.
Foreign interest remained relatively modest in the years that followed but began rising as pandemic-related restrictions eased. The 2024 spike may have reflected pent-up demand or renewed interest in Germany’s labor market. However, the sharp decline that followed suggests the effect was short-lived, potentially influenced by renewed political debate around immigration in the lead-up to the 2025 federal elections.
Interpreting the Data
While each country has its own story, the consistent downturn in foreign job seeker interest across all four markets since 2023 suggests that broader forces are at play. Stricter immigration policies, political rhetoric, and slowing global economies may all be contributing to the drop.
Countries like Australia and Canada, once seen by foreign job seekers as immigration-friendly, are now tightening immigration parameters, even for skilled labor. Meanwhile, Germany’s mid-2024 spike in foreign interest may have been short-lived, and the U.S. may be facing reputational headwinds amid ongoing immigration debates and evolving policies.
Whether this marks the start of a long-term shift or a temporary correction is still unclear, but mobility professionals should take note. As companies compete for international talent, understanding what’s driving these changes is key to adjusting global hiring strategies.
As policies evolve and global economic conditions shift, mobility leaders must watch these trends closely. Understanding the balance between attracting talent and managing immigration concerns will shape how countries position themselves in the global job market in the years ahead.