Deel, the leading global HR and payroll platform, has released its annual State of Global Hiring Report, providing a comprehensive analysis of cross-border employment trends. Drawing on data from over one million workers across 37,000 companies, the 2025 report identifies significant shifts in the labor market, including the professionalization of AI training and a strategic move by top-funded startups to hire international talent based on expertise rather than cost reduction. Additionally, the data suggests a reversal of the pandemic-era urban exodus and an increase in financial hedging by contractors in volatile economies.
AI trainer roles grew by 283% in 2025, becoming the fastest-growing cross-border profession.
Top-funded startups are hiring from high-income countries like the UK and Canada for specialized skills.
Remote workers are migrating back toward major urban centers like New York, London, and Paris.
Contractors in high-inflation markets are "currency hopping" into USD and stablecoins to protect earnings.
Latin American operational roles saw massive pay growth, with financial analysts up 195.5%.
Software developers account for 28% of all cross-border hires among top-tier startups.
The report reveals a rapid emergence of AI trainers as a new, expansive global profession that barely existed a few years ago. Over 70,000 workers now train AI systems across more than 600 organizations, performing tasks from basic data annotation to expert-level feedback in medicine, economics, and translation. While 58% of these trainers are based in the U.S., significant talent pools are growing in India, the Philippines, and Kenya. However, the sector reflects a sharp pay bifurcation, where subject-matter experts earn upwards of $100 per hour compared to $15 per hour for basic annotation.
Furthermore, the data shatters the myth that international hiring is primarily about cost-cutting. Among startups founded between 2020 and 2025 that raised over $100M, hiring overwhelmingly targets wealthy, high-income markets. The UK, Canada, and Germany lead these hiring corridors, with a heavy focus on software development and AI engineering. Local market knowledge remains a priority, as evidenced by the fact that seven of the top ten cross-border roles are in sales, marketing, or customer-facing functions.
After a pandemic-era exodus from major cities, remote workers are gradually migrating back. In the U.S., workers are now as close to major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco as they were in 2021. "The talent still lives in major metro areas, closer to big cities than they have in recent years, and they're a hot commodity for companies around the world," said Lauren Thomas, Economist at Deel.
Salary growth in 2025 was concentrated in senior leadership, though regional drivers varied. While U.S. project managers saw a 24.5% increase, COOs in Latin America experienced nearly 100% compensation growth. This reflects a rapid professionalization of operational roles in emerging markets as global companies compete for the best leadership talent.
A significant trend identified in the report is "currency hopping," where contractors in economically volatile markets choose USD or stablecoins over local currencies. In Argentina, more contractors chose USD than the local peso, and stablecoin adoption is rising rapidly in Turkey, Vietnam, and Ukraine. This shift indicates that workers are taking global mobility and financial security into their own hands.
"The rise of 'currency hopping' and stablecoin payments is a direct signal that workers are taking global mobility into their own hands," said Kristine Lipscomb, General Manager of Global Mobility at Deel. "Companies that want to attract and retain the best talent worldwide need to offer the flexibility to match how modern workers actually want to be paid."
The way the world works has changed – and Deel has built the standard to power it all. We make it effortless to hire, manage, pay, and equip any worker, anywhere. Deel is one platform for payroll, HR, benefits, mobility, performance, and device management across 150 countries. Built on owned infrastructure, powered by AI, and supported by thousands of local experts, Deel helps businesses scale smarter, faster, and more compliantly. Trusted by 40,000+ customers, and created to become a global brand people love.
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