Terrorism’s Impact on Expatriate Assignments
On September 11, 2001, the world changed. The terrorist attacks killed numerous
people at work that day, but the impact was not limited to them. Those who returned
to work on the 12th returned to a new workplace as new people. The war in
Afghanistan and continued terrorist warnings from the US government underscore
the events’ impact on Americans in the US and elsewhere in the world.
In particular, consider the situation of American citizens working as expatriates. Prior
to September 11, 2001, they lived relatively normal lives free from security concerns.
However, with recent threaths on American interests domestically & abroad, they fell
heightened insecurity, and the attractiveness of expatriate assignments has changed.
The terrorist threat has reduced enthusiasm for such assignments. For example, the
Global Gateway area on Monster.com is a site for Americans to look for international
jobs. It recorded a 12% drop on visits in September from the previous month. In
addition, KPMG, the accounting firm in New York, surveyed HR executives about the
impact of terrorism. Of those surveyed, 4% said that at least half of their workforce
abroad has asked to return to the US. In particular, those working in high-risk
countries such as Egypt & Pakistan are the most likely to want to return.
The result is that compensation for expatriate candidates is likely to rise quickly.
Candidates can ask for “extravagant demands such as paid housing in gated
communities with 24-hour security.” In addition, many may ask for more frquent
trips home to be with family.