Island Fails To Make Cut In Rankings
Bermuda has been knocked off HSBC’s annual ranking of the world’s friendliest countries by expatriate workers because it received too few votes in 2011.
Last year Bermuda was second – just behind Canada and a few votes ahead of South Africa — in the international bank’s survey of thousands of global expatriate workers.
HSBC’s “Expat Explorer Survey” is based on how easy it is to befriend locals, learn the local language, integrate into the community and fit into the new culture.
“I would say that the lack of a language barrier [in Bermuda] certainly made things easier–although there is a distinct Bermudian tongue, which I never acquired,” said Pam Shaw during the 2010 poll.
She had spent more than a dozen years living hereas a homemaker and community volunteer along with her children and husband, an accountant.
“Overall I integrated well into the Bermuda culture mostly due to my involvement with the community and school,” she said.
This year New Zealand, Australia and South Africa were ranked as the top three friendliest countries by expatriates.
New Zealand, in the top spot, had high scores in all four categories.
“New Zealanders as a whole seem like happy people, and that translates into friendly, helpful and kind people,” notes American expat Kim Brinster.
Other positive aspects, she says, include a “pitch-in-and-help mentality,” as well as navigable government and health-care systems. A former New York City bookstore owner, she relocated two years ago to Waiheke Island, off Auckland, to be with her New Zealander partner. She has no plans to leave.
HSBC surveyed 3,385 expatriates in 100 countries between May and July 2011. Because countries with fewer than 30 respondents were deemed statistically insignificant, the findings rank a total of only 31 countries.
Bermuda, which ranked highly last year, was not included this year because it had too few respondents.
“As the largest global survey of expats, Expat Explorer allows us to capture invaluable insights into expat life and how it differs from country to country, continent to continent and from an expats’ home country of origin,” says Lisa Wood, head of marketing for HSBC. “We want to be a business that truly understands its customers so that we can ensure our products and services meet their needs effectively.”
Waiting for OBA spin on this one……
No spin needed here. Facts are facts. Bermuda doesn’t have 30 Ex-pats that think Bermuda is a friendly place. Fact.
it’s funny, but true!
OBA does not need to spin. The facts are more than plenty enough.
Actually Bermuda had less than 30 respondents, has nothing to do with 30 expats thinking Bermuda is not friendly.
People just cant be bothered, especially with all the scam emails lurking. Majority of expats who I am friends with absolutely love it in Bermuda and think Bermuda is a nice place.
I assess ex-pat sentiments from my own experiences since I interact with many of them, if anything the thing the most complain about is the cost of living.
Agreed.
What??
“Actually Bermuda had less than 30 respondents, has nothing to do with 30 expats thinking Bermuda is not friendly.” “People just cant be bothered, especially with all the scam emails lurking.”
But they “could” be bothered last YEAR when enough respondents voted Bermuda #2? Your logic is lacking.
Actually, I heard the same thing from some people; a lot of them just didn’t ignored and / or didn’t feel like filling out the survey.
It seems that the whole list had a major shift this year, save for South Africa remaining in the top three. New Zealend was not in the top three last year, and where has Canada gone?
Honestly, I wouldn’t lend much credence to an e-mail survey. Such polls are not statistically sound in the slightest. A yield of just 3,385 from 100 countries? That’s quite pathetic if you ask me…
… oh, and when Egypt (a country with a very low GDP per capita) is ranked number two in terms of income and economics, you know there is something wrong with the survey!
but they could be bothered last year!
I think you mean PLP spin as the absence of Bermuda from the list (especially considering our 2nd place ranking previously) is a clear reflection of the inhospitable work environment – something the PLP is directly responsible for.
HOW!
have you not ever read or listened to any of the statements made by many plp members or BIU(same thing) about non bermudian workers, or expats like they refer to them as. Ever listened to the talk shows…read about things like term limits or applications to purchase property in Bermuda even if you are married to a Bermudian. …etc. Ever been to the department of immigration, customs or many other government offices and see how they are often treated?
Given the huge numbers of expats who have been shown the door in recent years, this result is … to be expected. But seriously, don’t HSBC themselves employ more than 30 expats here?
Ha – the 30 expats they employ must not be happy.
Expats are very fortunate in that they have choices and they can go elsewhere if they choose. Those who don’t like Bermuda have gone elsewhere. Those who have stayed for the main part love it, otherwise they wouldn’t stay!! They are too busy loving it to be bothered to sit at home and fill out surveys!
But they weren’t too busy loving it LAST year when they voted and ranked us in the #2 position???? Has something happened in the last year??? Hmmmm?
exactly…what changed. Not like we went down in rank a bit. We were not even considered.
There are definitely some blinkered viewpoints here. The fact is that in the last year things have changed dramatically: soaring cost of living, increased violence and gun crime, fewer expats on the island (either through their own choice or the choice of the companies they work for), and no real changes in government, despite the brave words from Madame Premier. Bermuda is no longer an expat paradise. Those who speak of expats loving it too much to fill out surveys are sadly mistaken – they are too busy researching where to go next. There are multiple expats with long term residency who are looking to leave – after waiting 20 years for their PRC. The facts speak for themselves: Bermuda’s exclusion from the HSBC survey is a death knell for expat life in Bermuda.
Right. Unlike last year, Bermuda is such a totally wonderful place to live right now that the few remaining expats are so deliriously extatic that they don’t have the time to complete a questionnaire about whether or not they like it here because they’re too busy loving it…is that the logic?
And that isn’t ‘spin’?
Spin or suggest it any way you want, I know of many expats who have packed up for greener pastures.
Just one more piece of less than flattering news to add to the pile.
Bernews had to work real hard to dig up that survey. They’re getting just like the Royal Gazette – anything to make Bermuda look bad. I’m really disappointed because I thought that Bernews would provide the Bermudian people with a balanced viewpoint, but that is not to be. If they’re not posting news stories about the many young black males that appear in Magistrates Court, they’re posting all of this other negative stuff, like Sir John and Larry Burchall saying the civil service needs to be cut.
I love the remark by the American expat Kim Brinster, who said “New Zealanders as a whole seem like happy people, and that translates into friendly, helpful and kind people.” I wonder if she was talking about the Maori people or the British people who went there and displaced and/or killed of the indigenous people.
I remember reading about the days when Bermudians “seemed like a happy people”. In fact, there was a time when African slaves “seemed like a happy people.”
Come on Bernews, let’s do some real news stories. The Opposition is having a field day on this site.”
LaVerne, Bernews did not make up the survey! They are simply reporting the results, because that’s what journalists do. It has nothing to do with them trying to tear down anyone in Bermuda. You would have had no problem with them reporting it if it said “Bermuda is No. 1″. I suppose you only want them to report on the rosy side of things? That is just not the way it works. People have a RIGHT to know what is going in their community, the good and the bad (yes, that includes young black males in Magistrates’ Court).
Bermuda looks bad because Bermuda is bad. Bernews or the Royal Gazette do not have to try to make Bermuda look bad. You and your Government do the job quite nicely without any help.
Shooting the messenger yet again.
PLP – Doing more for themselves leaving taxpayer with less and less since 1998.
“I’m really disappointed because I thought that Bernews would provide the Bermudian people with a balanced viewpoint, but that is not to be.”
Reality has an anti-PLP bias.
LaVerne, that is completely unfair. Bernews goes out of its way to report on non-contentious community news.
As for “digging hard” to find the survey… Good. That’s what news reporters are supposed to do. Dig hard for stories, and report them, whether they are flattering to the current ruling party or not.
I know how much the PLP would like to control the press and media; in fact to a large extent it already does. You don’t complain about pro-PLP fluff pieces. Where is your complaint about the story about Paula Cox looking around the shops yesterday? That was hardly anti-PLP.
And reports from the courts reflect the race of the people in court. If it’s young black males in court, the stories will say so. If it’s a young white woman, the story says so. Unless you’re suggesting censorship, which wouldn’t completely surprise me, I don’t see the problem with it. A news source is supposed to report news.
LaVerne, you have your own ‘publication’ which you can fill with half-truths, fluff pieces, and coloring competitions for the readership, to the extent you have one. For the rest of us, we like reading news.
RIIGHT ON! Let’s only report the BIU marches, scandals over TCD, Berkeley, Dockyard’s new pier,the New Courthouse Building overruns and suspect charges, BHC,etc and those are the GOOD news!
lol de expat have more say now then bermudians LOL
WHAT A SHAME WEN THE WHOLE INNER CIRCLE GET EXPOSED AND ……………..
DIS INTER MAKE MILLIONS OFF BERMUDA AND STILL WHINE AND DIN OVER $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
MORONS GET OUT HERE
BERMY WIKI LEAKS WE NEED
We’re here for the money and to play a few rounds of golf in the winter months.
We know some great people both local and foreign.We hope you can keep the country viable for just a few more months until we leave.
That’s the reality.
I’ve said it all along, this country is one small step,a tourist or guest worker murder, from true third world or “Banana Republic” status.
Expats are finally voting with their feet. Good bye Bermuda – enjoy sinking into the Atlantic.
I once heard Bermuda described as the ‘spoiled child of the Atlantic’. I think they were right.
The Titanic sank beneath the waves of the Atlantic in 1912. Bermuda did the same a hundred years later in 2012 when the stupid, uneducated, beyond ignorant voters put the PLP back in power once again. You get what you deserve. You are fools – all of you.
Be careful! I suggested as much after the last election and was abused. I’m not one to say “I told you so”, but, I told you so.
There’s more than a centenery parallel here.
Interestingly the owners & builders of the Titanic thought she was “unsinkable”. They were wrong. And so are those who think Bermuda is “unsinkable”.
The biggest myth ever perpetrated by Bermudians is the notion that they are the “most friendly people” on earth. They are not. Never have been.
serious f all u rich expat u go 2 uncle sam or go invade ur dirty money elsewhere
fruitloops ^___^
AND BERMUDIANS R VERY FRIENDLY MORONS
I think you missed a comma … or perhaps not.
anybody heard about Ironshore laying off 17 employees yesterday Friday?
I heard something about that. It would be nice to get more detail…
At the end of the day, surveys are for the most part pure BS..
when they say the people want plp to win, they are BS
when they say they want OBA to win, they are BS
when they say we arent friendly, they are BS
should we be independent, should a certain politician make an apology, blah blah. none of the samples are big enough to accurately say.. the results change so quickly that none of the questions really stand up to too much merit in my eyes.