In The A.I. Age, Singapore and Switzerland Attract The Skills Brazil Struggles To Keep
Every year, a little-known ranking quietly answers a big question: which countries are winning the global battle for talent? In the latest Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI), Singapore has just taken first place for the first time.
Switzerland and Denmark follow. The United States, long seen as the natural destination for ambitious workers, has dropped from third to ninth. China has slid from 40th to 53rd.
Brazil nudged up only one notch, from 69th to 68th out of 135 economies. In Latin America it still trails smaller neighbours Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica, even though Brazil is the region’s largest economy by far.
For expats and investors, that gap says a lot about how careers and companies may fare here over the next decade. The index, produced by INSEAD and the Portulans Institute, tracks 77 indicators across six areas: how easy it is to do business, how well a country attracts and keeps talent, and how effectively it trains people and lets them move up.
This year’s focus is “resilience in the age of disruption” – code for whether a workforce can adapt to artificial intelligence and constant change.
Singapore scores highly because it combines strong schools, a predictable pro-business environment and openness to foreign professionals. Its workforce is comfortable with digital tools and able to switch roles as industries shift.
Brazil’s Talent Pipeline Dragged Down by Bureaucracy
Brazil’s weak spots are the “enable” and “attract” pillars. Government effectiveness is low, labour rules are rigid and cooperation between employers and employees is fragile.
Bureaucracy weighs on productivity and makes hiring, firing and promoting harder than it should be. Brazil also struggles to bring in international specialists and to keep its brightest young people from leaving.
There are positives. The country performs better on education access, mid-level skills and the use of professional networks such as LinkedIn. Among the BRICS, Brazil’s talent score and income per person still sit above the group median.
The deeper story is simple. Countries that trust open markets, clear rules and innovation are turning disruption into opportunity. Those that rely on heavy state control and politicised labour systems are watching talent – and growth – slip away.
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