Also Reveals Pay and Benefits Differences Worldwide

Seattle, WA (19 March 2009) –The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA), an international non-profit association that encourages local communication as an indispensable component to a global strategy, found in a recent worldwide survey of language service and tools providers that 57 percent of respondents reported to have felt a direct impact from the current global financial crisis, with 28 percent reporting no impact and 15 percent unsure.

Results also revealed:
• 29 percent of respondents said they are continuing to invest and expand despite the downturn.  As one member commented:  “We realise that companies optimising their resources and investing in development will emerge as winners from the current economic downturn.”
• Only 20 percent of member respondents are reallocating resources as a strategy to be more successful during the downturn.  Of those who are doing so, more than 86 percent of resources are being reallocated to marketing and sales.

The survey also found that wages in the industry are generally higher in the North American region, but workers in Europe receive better benefits.  In this survey, respondents were asked to give salary ranges for a number of positions typical in the language services and technology industry.  All answers were provided in US Dollars to remain consistent. 
• In general, the salary ranges of positions in North America were 10,000 to 20,000 USD higher than similar positions in other markets.
• 75 percent of European project manager salaries were less than 40,000 USD, whereas 100 percent of the same positions in North America were higher than 40,000 USD. 
• There were similar differences with software engineers, software developers and marketing managers.

As expected, some positions, such as sales manager and business development manager had very wide salary ranges in all regions, reflecting differences in employee experience.

Meanwhile, European employees in the language service and technology industry appear to have the best benefits worldwide.   This is particularly true in the area of paid time off. 
• 55 percent of employees in the European region receive three to four weeks of paid time off, and 32 percent receive five to six weeks off. 
• In Asia, 62 percent receive one to two weeks of paid time off, and only 31 percent had three to four weeks of time off; no one reported more than four weeks. 
• In South America and the Middle East, the vast majority received three to four weeks, and in North America, sixty percent received three to four weeks, while 30 percent were at one to two weeks.

Interestingly, most regions offer similar full-time employee benefits, but member companies in the European region also offer attractive benefits to part-time employees. 
• More than 28 percent of European and Middle East respondents offer health benefits to part-time employees, but only 10 percent do in North America and only 18 percent in Asia. 
• Europe was the only region where some members offer part-time employees investment contributions and paid or unpaid maternity and paternity leave.  Members in that region also were the only respondents to offer part-time employees annual bonuses, with 20 percent doing so.

GALA conducted the comparative survey to give members a snapshot of the wage, benefit and human resource issues within the industry.  The survey was conducted over 20 days during February 2009 by GALA member companies located around the world. The association began conducting quarterly surveys of its members last year in an attempt to increase the overall industry knowledge base. The survey was answered by 109 member companies, a strong 40 percent of the membership.