00:00What is the best place to hire in Europe in 2026?
00:09Great skills, strong business culture and relatively moderate labor costs,
00:14Denmark is the prime hunting ground for companies looking to settle or expand in Europe.
00:20The country ranked first in the Where to Hire Index 2026 by the Conference Board,
00:26a global U.S. headquartered business research think tank.
00:30The top 10 is dominated by Northern Europe, along with smaller but wealthy economies that excel in adaptability and skills.
00:39Switzerland, in second place, was the only country to score a perfect 100 points in talent and skills,
00:46but its high cost of living remains a challenge.
00:49Germany is the only G7 economy to make it to the top 10,
00:53although it has significant issues such as demographic stagnation,
00:58rising labor costs and slow digital adoption.
01:01The U.K. follows closely in 12th place, held back by post-Brexit regulation uncertainty,
01:08as well as chronic uneven regional investment.
01:11France and Italy perform less strongly, according to the index, only just making it into the top 20.
01:18France's competitiveness is hampered by structural rigidity,
01:22while Italy struggles at the other extreme,
01:25dragged down by governance challenges and slow job creation.
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