Job drought risks brain drain
THE UK is in danger of losing its brightest talent, with 23 per cent of Britons saying they are considering moving abroad in the next two years, according to new research.
According to a survey of 2,000 adults carried out by Foreign Currency Direct, 11m workers are now considering a move abroad because finding a job in the UKis becoming increasingly difficult.
The alarming findings come just days after the latest government unemployment statistics showed the unemployment rate has risen to 7.9 per cent in the recession.
“As people struggle to find jobs, it is no wonder that Brits are considering bailing out of the UK,” said FCD chief executive Peter Ellis
The report claims men are almost twice as likely as women to up sticks in a bid to try and find a job in another country.
And 25 per cent of respondents aged between 18 and 30 would also be prepared to accept a job abroad, the report claims, suggesting many will take their British university education elsewhere.
English speaking countries with a warmer climate are the top choice for Brits looking for employment overseas.
A fifth of those who are eager to find a job abroad would look to Australia and one in six would opt for the US, the research shows.
One in ten Brits would rather work in New Zealand and eight per cent would choose Canada, the report said.
“In the last year, Foreign Currency Direct has seen an 37 per cent increase in the number of clients transferring funds to Australia and the US as Britons look overseas for a better quality of life,” added Ellis.