While the survey showed that just 13 per cent of companies had added to their expatriate staff over the past two years, 39 per cent of them planned to do so over the next five years.

'Because the demand for these postings is now so great, it means that the packages that are being offered are much less,' said Paul Lewis, managing editor of executive briefing at the EIU. 'Normally, they are now based on local salaries plus a few perks.'

The prolonged economic downturn has forced many companies to tighten the purse strings on relocation packages in a bid to shore up their bottom lines.

Upper management executives may be more reluctant to take postings abroad as a result, particularly if they already have family obligations.

Younger workers will aim for overseas assignments as global economic growth shifts from West to East, however, in hopes of advancing their careers, according to the survey.

The pick-up in the economy in Asia has already triggered more demand for serviced office provider Regus.

'Our business in China has been benefiting,' said Filippo Sarti, Regus chief executive for Asia-Pacific.

'We are seeing certainly in the past four or five months really a tremendous increase in the interest for business in general and for the product and service that we have.'

Regus, which sponsored the EIU survey, said it might increase its inventory by about 30 per cent this calendar year in terms of the amount of work stations in Greater China.

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