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:
Worldwide ERC Holds Town Hall
House Passes SECURE Notarization Act
What Does the Wave of Tech Layoffs Mean for Foreign Talent?
Digital Upskilling: A Top Trend for 2023
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Worldwide ERC Holds Town Hall
On 2 March, Worldwide ERC® members were invited to attend our Town Hall, where we discussed how the organization is delivering for employee mobility professionals worldwide. Our industry has always been at the forefront of innovative workplace strategies to meet business objectives—both from the perspective of the employer and the employee. Today, our industry is catalyzing the transformation in the workplace like never before, and to do this, you need a strong partner in your professional trade association.
During the Town Hall, Worldwide ERC President and CEO Lynn Shotwell and Worldwide ERC Chair Anupam Singhal discussed the development of the Worldwide ERC vision and strategic plan, the importance of membership engagement, four trends driving in the industry in 2023, and more.
On the evening of 27 February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SECURE Notarization Act (H.R. 1059) to establish a minimum set of standards for the use of electronic and remote notarization and require their recognition across state lines. The House passed H.R. 1059 by voice vote. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces a more difficult path to passage.
What Does the Wave of Tech Layoffs Mean for Foreign Talent?
According to the data on the website layoffs.fyi, which tracks tech layoffs since COVID-19, there have been over 250,000 layoffs from 1,356 different tech companies. Business Insider India estimates that between 30 and 40% of the employees laid off are Indian nationals, and Kathy Khol, an immigration attorney at Fragomen, estimated for Forbes that 20-30% of workers at Meta, Amazon, Cisco, and Twitter—all which have made dramatic cuts to their workforce—are foreign nationals.
Why is this important?
Most foreign workers in tech are on the H-1B visa, which is an employer-sponsored work visa. Laid-off workers on the H-1B visa have just 60 days to find new a new employer to sponsor their visa. If they can’t find a new job, they have few straightforward options available. While they could change their status to a B-2 (visitor) visa or F-1 (student) visa, most will be forced to leave the U.S.
Upskilling is the process of learning new skills, while re-skilling is undergoing training or learning how to do a new set of skills. Both re-skilling and upskilling are on the minds of employers and employees alike. New data released by the Cengage Group on people who changed jobs during the Great Resignation showed migration of workers to tech and IT-related jobs and that job-seekers put a lot of importance of the role of upskilling for finding their new jobs. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents took an online training course or certificate to improve their standing in the job search.
Why is this important?
Research shows that when companies invest in their employees and their skill development, employees are less likely to job hunt. Advancing the company’s technology and talent pool with upskilling will help “future-proof” their workforce, minimize disruptions, and improve both internal processes and their products.
Are you trying to figure out where you can start upskilling or provide upskilling for your employees? The Worldwide ERC Learning Portal can help prepare you for a career in the new global marketplace. In addition to resources such as webinars, trainings, and online learning courses, Worldwide ERC also provides certifications for anyone looking to build their credibility and get to the next level in their mobility career.
The Mobility Collective highlighted Black mobility leaders during the month of February for Black History Month. Watch the videos.
Women’s History Month Celebration— Join the Corporate Housing Providers Association and Worldwide ERC for a virtual Women’s History Month event on 30 March. 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
A Texas bill will no longer aim to ban Chinese citizens from buying homes, a state senator says. — NBC News
On 1 March, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opened the initial registration period for H-1B petitions for FY 2024. The period will last through noon ET on 17 March 2023. — Forbes
India’s economy grew by 4.4% in the last fiscal quarter, down from 6.3% the previous quarter. By comparison, the World Bank projects the global economy will grow just 1.7% this year—the third-weakest pace of global growth in almost three decades. — Quartz
Home prices are going up across the country—in aggregate. Looking at individual markets, however, some are showing prices have fallen from a year ago. Nearly all of the most expensive places to buy are in the West, and half of the 10 most expensive cities are in California. Several of those places are seeing prices fall the most. — CNN
The launch of the highly anticipated European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) visa program has been postponed by the European Union. As a result, travelers from the United States and the United Kingdom will no longer be required to obtain European visa waivers until the summer of next year.
Initially scheduled to commence in May 2023, the new “e-visa” initiative would have mandated fingerprinting and fees for visitors from countries not belonging to the Schengen Area who wished to travel to France, Spain, and other EU countries.
ETIAS is a visa-waiver program similar to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization currently employed in the United States. The application functions as a preauthorization system, enabling individuals from 63 non-Schengen countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, to enter the region for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without obtaining a full visa.
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