Richard Florida and The Economist’s Free exchange highlight a recent Career Cast and Going Global survey that asks students where in the world they are excited about launching careers:

1. UK
2. China
3. US

The list then diverges for US and foreign-born students with Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, France and Japan making strong showings in both.

No one is surprised at China’s strong showing. Free exchange responds to Florida’s confusion at the UK’s pole position:

Perhaps it has to do with immigration policy. The government has made it hard for firms taking TARP money to hire foreign labour. This may not directly impact tech workers, but it sends a powerful message. Britain may appear more welcoming. It has a points system that allows qualified English-speaking students to migrate, even without an employer sponsor.

Free exchange on why these charts may worry the US:

IMMIGRANTS have been instrumental to the success of America’s economy. More than a quarter of science and engineering companies started between 1995 and 2003 had at least one foreign-born founder. Immigrant-owned companies generated $52 billion in revenue and employed 450,000 workers in 2005.

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