Washington, D.C. has been ranked No.1 for talent competitiveness and for the city’s ability to attract and nurture entrepreneurs, according to the 2019 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) report released this week.
On the last year’s report, Washington, D.C. had ranked 6th, while Zurich topped the list. “Its steady economy, dynamic population, outstanding infrastructure and connectivity, highly-skilled workforce and world class education are all characteristics which contribute to making the city such a talent hub,” according to the statement released alongside the (GTCI) report.
Many Western European cities also ranked higher on the 2019 list. Copenhagen, Oslo, Vienna and Zurich took the top five places for talent-competitiveness. Among the top 10 cities were also New York and Boston.
For its findings, GTCI evaluated the abilities of cities to enable, attract, grow and retain talent and also their ability to “be global”. Washington, D.C. was also ranked in the top 10 for three among the five pillars, while other cities ranked highly for at least two pillars.
“The leading cities are best at performing well across the five pillars of the talent spectrum. The top-ranked city – Washington, D.C. – exemplifies this, being a top 10 city in three of five dimensions. The increasingly central roles of cities as entrepreneurial talent hubs also underline the importance of developing strong and vibrant ecosystems, especially around innovation,” the report stated.
Washington DC ranked as the world's top hub for entrepreneurial talent https://t.co/QC3yNpmLyp
— World Fair Inc (@ceciliabastien3) January 26, 2019
Covering 114 cities from across the world, the report highlighted that talent performance is a vital factor for the growth and prosperity of companies, cities and countries.
“As the world of work rapidly changes, there is a danger that if countries and cities do not have the right conditions for attracting talent, people and businesses will move away and look for opportunities elsewhere,” Alain Dehaze, Adecco Group’s CEO, said in a statement.
The 2019 index covered 125 national economies and 114 cities. The report measured levels of “global talent competitiveness” by looking at 68 variables.