Macedonia has been given rather high ranking in the 2012 IBM Global Location Trend report, which refer to economic trends worldwide.

The report says that Macedonia's has registered largest progress in creating new jobs per capita (271%) in comparison to the previous year. It is followed by Serbia (104%). According to the number of new jobs per 100.000 citizens in 2011 Macedonia holds the ninth place, standing ahead of Britain, Bulgaria, Belgium, Mexico etc.

Investment focus, which in the past was put on Central, Eastern Europe, is now relocated to the Western Balkan countries. In this respect Macedonia and Serbia are notified as countries with substantial FDI growth in comparison to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, which register decline of FDI inflow in 2011.

These changes are a result of substantial improvement of the business climate in the Western Balkan and increasing of the operational costs in the Central, South European countries.

Each year, IBM Global Business Services analyzes  foreign investment trends in its Global Location Trends report.

Global Location Trends Reports are prepared based on analysis of data from IBM's proprietary Global Investment Locations Database (GILD). These reports present and analyze the latest trends in corporate location selection around the world, and are the most realistic and up-to-date reflection of expansion and relocation behavior of companies, as well as the degree in which countries and regions around the world are successful in attracting new business.