Reshuffling Worldwide: A Regional Breakdown of the Marketing Jobs Outlook

Editor's note: The 2022 Marketing Jobs Outlook was co-authored by Connie Chen, Lisa Sy and Tequia Burt. Check out part one, which examines why now is the time your employer brand needs to move to the forefront of marketing, part two, which explores how women have been impacted by The Great Reshuffle, and part three, which shows how marketers are on the move during this shift.

In the final installment of our series analyzing the marketing jobs landscape in 2022, we’re examining the regional implications of a historic disruption in the workforce, and how marketers in different parts of the world are moving forward.

You can take a full visual tour in our infographic, How is the Great Reshuffle Impacting Marketers in Different Regions Across the World? Or, read on for some key highlights and takeaways.

Worldwide, many workers left their jobs or are considering it.

Our data shows that 62% of professionals in the United States are considering a job change in 2022, with nearly one in four (24%) actively looking. Elsewhere, the movement is already underway. Globally we saw 31% growth in LinkedIn members in marketing changing jobs from 2020 to 2021, with a staggering 618,000 marketing job departures last year alone. 

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region saw the highest rate of job churn – 59% growth year-over-year, compared to 46% for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 38% for North America (NAMER).

Marketers are gravitating to large urban areas, while growth of remote work varies.

A look at the top geographical areas of migration for marketers shows that – even with remote and hybrid work growing– these professionals are attracted to big cities. 

NAMER

1. New York City Metropolitan Area
2. Los Angeles Area
3. San Francisco Bay
4. Washington DC-Baltimore Area
5. Greater Phoenix Area

EMEA

1. United Arab Emirates
2. London Area, UK
3. Greater Paris Metropolitan Region
4. The Randstad, Netherlands
5. Ireland

APAC

1. Singapore
2. Greater Sydney Area
3. Greater Bengaluru Area
4. Greater Delhi Area
5. Greater Melbourne Area

The remote work trend has been far more pronounced in the U.S. compared to other parts of the world, with NAMER showing a 121% year-over-year increase in remote marketing job share compared to 77% in APAC and 56% in EMEA.

Social media and digital marketing specialists top the charts for most in-demand roles.

What are the top destinations for marketers on the move, in terms of new roles? The most in-demand occupations are largely focused on digital specializations, management, and social media. Here are the top three for each region:

NAMER

1. Social Media Marketing Specialist 
2. Marketing Strategist 
3. Marketing Manager 

EMEA

1. Marketing Manager 
2. Marketing Specialist 
3. Social Media Manager 

APAC

1. Content Writer 
2. Digital Marketing Specialist 
3. Marketing Manager 

Many marketers are relocating in pursuit of higher salaries, but they aren’t always chasing promotions.

Here’s where marketers moved to secure the highest salaries across the three regions we studied:

NAMER

1. Greater Seattle Area 
2. San Francisco Bay Area 
3. Atlanta Metropolitan Area 

EMEA

1. The Randstad, Netherlands 
2. Greater Reading Area (UK) 
3. Greater Munich Metropolitan Area 

APAC

1. Greater Tokyo Area 
2. Greater Sydney Area 
3. Hsinchu Metropolitan Area (Taiwan) 

Interestingly, job transitions didn’t always entail a rise in seniority. In North America, 30% of job changes were promotions, with a majority (46%) classified as lateral moves. In APAC and EMEA, it was much more common for marketers to move down in seniority when changing jobs (50% and 47%, respectively). 

Many marketers globally are leveraging the Great Reshuffle as an opportunity to embrace this mantra. 

The most in-demand skills and most popular learning subject for marketers worldwide are clear-cut.

Perhaps due to its broad applicability, “Digital Marketing” is the most in-demand skill globally, topping the list in the EMEA and APAC regions while ranking third in NAMER, where Merchandising and Event Marketing outranked it. Merchandising is also sought after in EMEA, ranking second, while Ad Serving appears in the top three for both EMEA and APAC.

Across all three regions, the most popular LinkedIn Learning course for marketers is The Six Morning Habits of High Performers. It seems no matter where you are in the world, we’re all looking to develop new routines and productivity hacks amidst evolving work dynamics.

In both NAMER and APAC, the second and third most popular courses were Unconscious Bias and Speaking Confidently and Effectively. In APAC, Digital Marketing Foundations and SEO Foundations rounded out the top three.

What’s Next

Across continents, marketers are boldly chasing new opportunities, reskilling, and reimagining their careers.

A few key things to keep in mind: 

• No matter where you are, it’s more likely than not (statistically speaking) that you’re contemplating a career move. That means heightened competition for jobs, but the good news is that plenty of companies are hiring, with nonprofits and tech at the forefront.
• Looking for flexibility? Remote work opportunities are on the rise everywhere, but growth of these positions is much sharper in North America. When considering relocation options, consider the top trending spots for marketers, which are mostly in urban areas.
• Aim to build your résumé and skill set around a balance of generalized and specialized skills. Hiring organizations are seeking out digital marketing competencies first and foremost, but you can differentiate yourself with functional capabilities (e.g., Ad Serving or Social Media Marketing) and sharpening your soft skills (e.g., recognizing unconscious bias and speaking confidently).
• For brands, recognize that workers across the world – some of them may even be yours – are pondering career moves and are boosting their skills to make these transitions happen. In order to attract new talent, as well as keep your current employees happy, brands must be open to a more flexible work environment, promote a good work-life balance, support internal mobility, and provide skills training and competitive pay to employees.

Check out the full infographic to learn more about these marketing jobs trends.