The best prospects for those seeking employment have traditionally been in the developed economies of the West, leading to the diaspora of highly educated, motivated and skilled people from countries such as Nigeria, Poland and Brazil. But with these emerging economies proving more resilient to the current economic climate, and with a scarcity of talent resulting in the offering of highly lucrative salaries, many of these expatriates are returning home.

As the EU imposes an oil embargo on Iran and the screws tighten on neighbouring Syria, foreign companies doing business with the affected countries are scrambling to stay on the right side of the law while hedging against their losses. 

As the US economy continues to splutter along, representatives from its states and counties are looking beyond national boundaries for would-be investors, with emerging markets proving to be an increasingly popular port of call.

Latin America's stellar reputation with investors has been dented of late by a series of protests in the region regarding mining and infrastructure projects, with fears being voiced that a number of the demonstrations are more about political opportunism than they are about the impact of these projects on local communities.