I want to understand what the availability of foreign-language speakers are in major European towns.?

Question

For example, will I be able to employ English-speaking staff in Milan; or Flemish speaking staff in Berlin. Is there a useful source of reference?

Answer 1

This is such a big question that I think you will just have to suck it and see. So far as I know, there are no statistics of second language speakers at the town level - only at national level. But even then, you can't assume that all those people would have an effective working knowledge of the languages in question.

In general, the Dutch and the Scandinavians have excellent foreign language skills, particularly in English. Apart from that, I only really know about the situation in Italy. There are lots of people in Italy who can get by in English, especially in the North. But the average level of fluency is not great. Unsurprisingly, the best English is spoken by the many Italians who live and work abroad. In Sicily and Tuscany (major centres of German tourism), there are lots of people who can speak German very well. Many Sicilians, Sardinians and Calabresi also have family ties in Germany, France, Switzerland and Belgium because of high levels of economic migration from those areas. But my guess is that you aren't thinking of investing in the South of Italy - pity.

I have known lots of French and Spanish people who speak 4 or 5 languages well, but that's because I mix in polyglot circles. People like that mostly have MBAs and international law degrees, so you would find it hard to recruit them.

Lots of Germans speak good English and there are lots of Italian speakers in Germany too - both Italian immigrants and German people themselves who, historically, have cultural ties with Italy and a great interest in Italian culture.

The autonomous province of Bolzano in the far North of Italy (the South Tyrol) is bilingual German/Italian.

Answer 2

It depends very much on the nationality of your staff members. People from EU countries (with some exceptions for people from new member states like Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia etc) are free to live and work in any EU country.
You can e.g. employ someone from England or Ireland in Italy or someone from Belgium (Flemish speaker) in Germany.
You will also find Italians with good knowledge of English in Milan especially among younger people with good education (University degree). It will be more difficult to find German staff that speaks Dutch/Flemish in Berlin. I think it will be easier to find someone from The Netherlands/Belgium who speaks German and English.
I am sure that employment ads in newspapers will bring results.
If you plan to use staff from non-EU countries it is different of course - in this case I would suggest that you contact the embassies of those countries they can give you the regulations and requirements.

Answer 3

You will not be able to employ English speaking staff in Milan or in Berlin. The main condition to employ someone in a country in Europe is that this person learn to speak the language of the country.