May 22, 2025 | News | LinkedIn Data Analyzed

Are There Differences Between Men and Women When Moving for a Job?

Globally, as many women as men migrate for professional reasons

A team at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) examined professional migration of men and women in 48 countries using data from LinkedIn’s Advertising and Recruiter platform. The team found that, although men aspire to migrate more often than women, globally, as many women as men migrate for a job.

The population of people expressing migration aspirations is about five times larger than the population of recently relocated professionals. © istockphoto.com/Imagesines

Gender parity: Men express significantly higher openness to international relocation than women. However, the observed migration rates remain balanced.
More women: In major destination countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and France, female professionals outnumber men.
Migration desire: Overall, the number of people expressing migration aspirations is about five times larger than the number of people who have recently relocated for work.

Professional migration is a growing phenomenon, yet gender differences in this area remain understudied. A team of researchers at the MPIDR examined whether men and women migrate at similar rates and how their migration aspirations and actual mobility differ. “Understanding these patterns is crucial for global workforce planning, gender equity policies, and labor market trends,” says Daniela Perrotta, co-author of the new study and MPIDR researcher.

The paper, published in the scientific journal Population and Development Review, examines gender differences in the international migration of professionals using LinkedIn data. LinkedIn provides an opportunity to analyze current trends, with data collected in 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, these data capture information about more than one billion LinkedIn users worldwide and provide valuable insights into the job search and relocation behavior of professionals moving internationally. “We collected audience counts from LinkedIn user profiles in English, Czech, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Our results provide a detailed analysis of 48 countries,” says MPIDR co-author Tom Theile.

After collecting anonymous, aggregate-level data, from which it is impossible to identify individuals, the team used two metrics — the Immigrant and Emigrant Gender Gap Indexes — to measure gender disparities in professional migration flows. Overall, the researchers found that the population of people expressing migration aspirations is about five times larger than the population of recently relocated professionals.

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The key finding is that the global population of immigrant professionals is at gender-parity, meaning as many women as men migrate for professional reasons. Interestingly, women professionals outnumber men in major destination countries such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and real estate are driving this increase in female mobility.

However, when examining migration aspirations, a stark contrast emerges: men express significantly greater openness to international relocation than women. Despite this finding, the observed migration rates remain balanced. This suggests that, although men are more likely to aspire to migrate, structural factors or decision-making dynamics equalize actual migration behavior. “Our study is one of the first to leverage LinkedIn data on this scale to quantify gender gaps in professional migration, providing a fresh perspective on global mobility trends,” says MPIDR co-author Athina Anastasiadou.

Relative to the overall professional population, migrant women are overrepresented in male-majority industries

Traditionally, migration studies have relied on administrative records or surveys, which often lack detailed, real-time industry-level information. Although research on skilled migration has increased, gender disparities in professional mobility remain understudied, especially when using large-scale, real-time data. Harnessing the unique advantages of LinkedIn sheds new light on gender disparities in migration aspirations and behaviors, deepening existing knowledge on the selectivity of female professionals across diverse industries and national contexts.

The findings reveal emerging trends in the feminization of labor migration. They suggest that female professional migrants may be positively selected in key destination countries, such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, particularly in industries like consulting, finance, and technology. Relative to the overall professional population, migrant women are overrepresented in these male-majority industries. In the United States, for instance, 59 percent of migrant professionals employed in technology are women, compared to 44 percent of the total LinkedIn population.

The results offer new insights into the aspirations, behavior, and selectivity of female migrant professionals who migrate for employment rather than as accompanying spouses. “We aim to advance our understanding of gender dynamics of skilled migration. At the same time, our analyses are also informative for policymakers, who can refine migration policies based upon our findings on gendered patterns. By sharing our research, we aim at contributing to evidence-based decision-making that promotes equitable access to international job opportunities for women and men alike,” says Emilio Zagheni, MPIDR director and co-author of the study.

Original Publication

Jacobs, E., Theile, T., Perrotta, d., Zhao, X., Anastasiadou, A., Zagheni, E.: Global Gender Gaps in the International Migration of Professionals on LinkedIn. Population and Development Review (2025). DOI: 10.1111/padr.70012