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Book a call ↗Nearshoring is moving business work to a nearby foreign country (Dictionary.com). In hiring, it means employing or contracting people in a country close enough in time zone and travel time that teams can work together live, as opposed to offshoring to a distant region.
"Near" is relative. What makes a location nearshore for a US company is less the distance than the number of working hours the two teams share each day, and that number can be calculated exactly.
How much of the working day the US and Europe share
New York runs on UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 in summer (timeanddate). Lisbon is on UTC+0 and +1 (timeanddate), Warsaw on UTC+1 and +2 (timeanddate), and Tallinn on UTC+2 and +3 (timeanddate). Assuming a 9 to 5 day on both sides:
| European city | Hours ahead of New York | Shared working hours | Shared window (New York time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon or London | 5 | 3 | 9:00 to 12:00 |
| Berlin or Warsaw | 6 | 2 | 9:00 to 11:00 |
| Tallinn | 7 | 1 | 9:00 to 10:00 |
These figures are our own arithmetic from the published offsets. On the US West Coast, three hours behind New York, the shared window with Europe mostly disappears on a standard day.
The weeks when the gap shrinks
The US moves its clocks on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November: 8 March and 1 November in 2026 (NIST). The EU and the UK move on the last Sunday of March and of October: 29 March and 25 October in 2026 (gov.uk, European Commission). In the weeks between, the gap is one hour smaller and every overlap above grows by an hour. Meeting invitations set in one time zone move for the other side, so check recurring calls in March and late October.
What it means when you hire in Europe
Decide how many live hours the role really needs before choosing a country. A support or sales role covering US clients needs a different setup from an engineer who joins a 30-minute stand-up and works alone the rest of the day. Many teams agree a shifted window, with the European side starting and finishing later. Put the overlap next to cost and skills: the country-by-country guide compares markets, and Nearshore Europe covers the European case specifically. Cost comparisons are in the US vs Europe salary calculator.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules differ by country and change, so confirm your case with a local lawyer or accountant.
Euro Remote Talent runs searches across Europe for a flat $6,500, with a shortlist of three vetted candidates in 21 days and a 12-month replacement guarantee, through Hiring Done For You. If you would rather run the search yourself, a job post is $299, live for 60 days, and the fee is credited in full if you later move to the done-for-you service.
