Welcome to Mobility Minute, a newsletter published every Friday byWorldwide ERC®for the benefit of members and the global mobility and relocation industry. Here’s a quick glimpse of what you’ll find in this week’s issue:
One Year Later: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine
How the Transportation Sector Presents Opportunities for a More Sustainable Mobility Industry
USCIS Proposed Fee Rule – Learn More and Share Your Comments
The Role the H-2B Visa Plays in the U.S. Economy
Highlighting Black Mobility Leaders
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One Year Later: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine
It has been a year since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the conflict has caused a tremendous amount of destruction, with tens of thousands of casualties, millions of displaced persons, and immense economic losses estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.
Why is this important?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a major impact on mobility in Europe. The conflict has created security concerns, making it more difficult to travel to the region. Organizations and their employees continue to reconsider living and working in the region. While it’s uncertain what the outcome of the war will be, it’s clear that the conflict with Ukraine and its consequences will result in Russia experiencing significant losses. It is also expected that the conflict will continue to affect mobility in Eastern Europe.
How the Transportation Sector Presents Opportunities for a More Sustainable Mobility Industry
Worldwide ERC® President and CEO Lynn Shotwell sat down with Jesper Løvendahl, CEO and founder of ExpatRide, for a One Take conversation to discuss the many ways ExpatRide is working to provide transfers with the transportation services they need around the world, while also curbing greenhouse gas emissions along the way.
USCIS Proposed Fee Rule – Learn More and Share Your Comments
The comment period for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed rule increasing fees for certain immigration and benefit-related services closes in just under three weeks (now extended until 13 March 2023). A “focusing moment” is coming for many employers as they realize the extent to which the higher fees would affect their immigration programs, especially small businesses. As such, Worldwide ERC® is encouraging you to use the information and engage proactively.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in late January that the H-2B visa program’s 18,216 cap limit was successfully met due to the overwhelming amount of petitions received. The high demand for this kind of labor is illustrated by the fact that the number of applicants seeking seasonal work has skyrocketed, exceeding the visa limit by more than double. As a result, numerous positions remain unfilled, creating negative impacts on American businesses, consumers, and U.S. workers in other occupations.
Why is this important?
There is high demand for H-2B visas for seasonal employment, and the lack of available visas for low-skilled workers in year-round positions is only exacerbating the strain on the system. Despite its challenges, the H-2B visa program plays a critical role in meeting the workforce needs of American businesses that cannot find willing U.S. workers. Without this program, many businesses would undoubtedly suffer. Critics of the H-2B program insist that policymakers must push changes to ensure the program’s continued success.
As part of Black History Month, The Mobility Collective is highlighting black mobility leaders and discussing their contributions to the mobility industry. Check out the first session featuring Kelly West, CRP, SGMS-T, interviewed by Marie Huggins, CRP, GMS.
The Roundup
Webinar: Car Services – How to Manage Assignees’ Global Transportation Needs — This session, held 28 February, will explain how to create and manage a global transportation plan. Jesper Lovendahl of ExpatRide International will discuss the challenges international assignees faces in new locations and how to overcome these, as well as how you can manage and centralize all your global transportation expenses. Learn more and register.
Charlotte Metro Area Relocation Council (CMARC) Study Group— CMARC is offering a study group for the CRP exam, which will run every Wednesday from 1 March through 3 May from 10-10:30 a.m. ET. Learn more and register.
Worldwide ERC Town Hall: Strategic Plan and Beyond — Hear from Lynn Shotwell, Worldwide ERC president and CEO, and Anupam Singhal, Worldwide ERC chairman, on 2 March about the 2023 strategic planning that will guide the organization throughout the coming years. Learn more and register.
International Women’s Day Celebration— Join the Corporate Housing Providers Association and Worldwide ERC on International Women’s Day, 8 March, for a virtual event supporting women leaders. With a dynamic keynote and two interactive, breakout sessions, learn while connecting with other industry professionals in this three-hour online event. Learn more and register.
Mobility Day— Join Worldwide ERC in one of four locations—or online—for Mobility Day on 10 May. Worldwide ERC President and CEO Lynn Shotwell will present a keynote via Zoom, followed by a panel discussion with regional speakers on trends they’re seeing in their local areas. Learn more and register.
Global Economic Snapshot
One year after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 Feb 2022 and caused widespread suffering, the global economy is still enduring the consequences: crunched supplies of grain, fertilizer, and energy along with more inflation and economic uncertainty in a world that was already contending with too much of both. — PBS
One year ago, on the cusp of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it seemed unimaginable that renewable energy in Europe could overtake electricity from oil and gas. By the end of 2022, wind and solar combined overtook natural gas in electricity generation. The latest data on Europe’s renewable transition tells a remarkably upbeat story about the hard things countries can accomplish on climate change with enough political will. — Vox
Institutional investors may control 40% of U.S. single-family rental homes by 2030, according to MetLife Investment Management. Industry advocates argue that they do not control enough market share to dictate prices in any market. Large institutions owned roughly 5% of the 14 million single-family rentals nationally in early 2022, according to analysts. — CNBC
Despite not having fully recovered yet, the travel industry has gained significant momentum since the beginning of the year, with almost all regions making progress in their recovery from the pandemic’s effects. The Asia Pacific region remains the only exception to this trend. With travel restrictions easing and China reopening, we anticipate a more even and robust travel industry this year.
The Skift Travel Health Index shows that all regions displayed exceptional month-over-month growth with Latin America having long surpassed pre-pandemic performance. The North American region has also entirely recovered, and the Middle East and Europe aren’t far behind.
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