Having worked as a surveyor for AIRINC, I can tell you it is one of the most unique and fascinating jobs in the world. On the surface, this is the dream job for anyone that thrives on challenging global travel – the kind that takes grit and determination to grind through as you move on a seemingly daily basis. Instead of touring from site to site though, you move from store to store and source to source, collecting data to populate a market basket of goods, services, housing, and hardship data.
On my last survey, a five-week trip across Africa, I visited Lagos, Nigeria and Cairo, Egypt, two of the most notorious traffic destinations in the world. These locations lived up to their hype, and I spent a lot of time sitting in traffic. However, I was surprised to find that Nairobi, Kenya’s traffic was almost as bad despite lacking the same level of notoriety. Nairobi’s three main issues are a shortage of stop signs and traffic lights at intersections, poor road quality, and incredible amounts of construction that disrupt traffic routes.
The LTA benchmark provides a comprehensive overview of policies and practices for temporary long-term international assignments. In addition to a detailed look at pre- and post-assignment, relocation, and on-assignment benefits, the benchmark reviews pay and tax approaches, and highlights the trend toward greater flexibility both in policy configuration and in how benefits are delivered.
During my recent survey, I visited two small cities in Kazakhstan near the Caspian Sea. Oil is the main industry in this region, and these cities are no exception. The first of these cities I visited was Aktau, which directly overlooks the Caspian Sea. The city was originally built as an oil camp decades ago, and even now the city feels rural. The air in the city is dry and roads are not particularly walkable.
In the past year, AIRINC has seen a surge in requests for benchmarking information. This is not surprising given that our industry is undergoing tremendous change. During uncertain times, keeping a pulse on evolving practices becomes even more important. While many things in global mobility are different today, there are three main reasons benchmarking has recently increased in importance.
Tenants in Canada (and most of the world) are required to pay for rent and utilities, as well as extra amenities like cable TV and internet. There are some parts of Canada, however, where renting water heaters is common, and the question of who pays – tenant or landlord – can cause confusion.
During my survey of Bangkok, I found the multiple transportation systems available for use extremely helpful, especially in comparison to other Southeast Asian cities. In Yangon, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City, I was entirely dependent on taxis and rideshare apps, as there are no functioning rail systems, the buses are difficult for foreigners to use, and the cities are not particularly pedestrian friendly. Conversely, in Bangkok, I used a much more balanced mix of rideshare, metro (MRT), Skytrain (BTS), and walking.
AIRINC is delighted to invite you to participate in a benchmark survey focused on executive relocation practices. The survey primarily focuses on US domestic moves but also touches on international one-way relocations and two-way assignments. Responses are anonymous and participants will receive a copy of the results. We hope you can join us!
Hong Kong has been subject to ongoing street protests since June 2019. The protests have led to varying degrees of disruptions in daily living for residents, a sharp reduction in tourists visiting the city, and most recently, an economic downturn considered to be the worst since 2008.
Rents increased in Neuquen due to higher demand and low vacancy rates. Real estate agents have clients on waiting lists for apartments, and rentals are not listed for long before being rented. Construction projects are underway for new apartment buildings, which should help increase the number of 2-3-bedroom apartments. However, with growing expatriate demand, rents may increase over the next 6-12 months.