A new Pebl survey reveals wage inflation, H-1B visa chaos, and an AI skills crunch have ended the era of domestic-first hiring, with 48% expecting global workers to make up half or more of their workforce by 2027
Rising wage inflation and an AI talent crunch are ending the era of domestic-first hiring, forcing companies to go global faster than ever. A new global survey from Pebl finds that 86% of HR and finance leaders plan to expand hiring abroad within two years, and nearly half (48%) expect international workers to make up 50% or more of their workforce by 2027. And for good reason – 87% of leaders agree that hiring abroad makes sound economic sense.
“The era of domestic-first hiring is over,” said Francoise Brougher, CEO at Pebl. “Companies that don’t build borderless teams will fall behind. It’s as simple as that. Wage inflation, AI skill scarcity, and regulatory complexity – from rising H1–B visa costs to compliance hurdles – are all making it difficult for companies to hit their growth goals. The smart ones are looking for talent worldwide, and we can help.”
From the U.S. to Europe, hiring is now global by default
Global hiring is no longer gradual; it’s accelerating. Leaders forecast a 57% jump in international hiring in the next year, rising to 69% within 24 months. Nearly half say they are ramping up global hiring by early 2026, with the U.S. moving most aggressively (46%), ahead of Germany (43%) and the U.K. (38%).
The U.K., however, is doubling down. Leaders there expect to more than double global hiring, from 38% at six months to 85% at 24 months. By 2028, 40% of all executives predict the most successful companies will “hire globally by default,” leaving country-first models behind.
Inflation Is the New Jobs Exporter
Wage shock at home is sending jobs abroad at record speed. In the U.S., 61% say wage inflation is pushing them toward distributed models, 60% are leaning on automation and AI to offset costs, and 57% are speeding up overseas hiring.
Immigration delays add to the push: 28% of U.S. leaders cite visa bottlenecks as a driver of hiring abroad, compared with 18% in the U.K. and Germany. In addition, the White House proposal to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications would raise sponsorship costs for U.S. employers and is likely to drive more visa-free offshore hiring.
AI Is Rewriting Workforce Strategy
AI is reshaping workforce strategy almost universally: 52% of companies are reskilling or upskilling teams to work with AI, 51% are hiring more AI-skilled talent both domestically and internationally, and 41% are redesigning roles into AI-augmented models; only 2% report no impact.
Mid-sized enterprises (500–999 employees) are moving fastest, hiring AI-skilled talent in global markets at 46%, compared with 28% for smaller firms. U.S. companies are sourcing AI talent primarily from Southeast Asia (42%), Latin America (39%), and Western Europe (24%), while Germany barely registers on the U.S. AI map at all (1%).
Bureaucracy Is the New Border Wall
Eighty-seven percent of companies have already pulled back from entering a new market because of compliance or regulatory red tape, and 33% have faced this issue multiple times. German leaders are the most spooked: 57% cite regulatory unpredictability as their top barrier, compared with 47% in the U.K. and 42% in the U.S.
In response, companies are racing to strengthen their workforce models. When asked about readiness to scale a distributed workforce over the next 12–24 months, 68% said their companies are very or extremely prepared, yet nearly a third (32%) acknowledged they could benefit from support to get there.
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