UK talent seek work abroad

The number of UK professionals choosing to work abroad is on the increase, according to a new report.

The NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Report, undertaken in conjunction with the Centre for Future Studies, surveyed over 1,000 British expats from all over the globe and found that, out of the 200,000 Britons who left the UK to live abroad in 2006, two-thirds left to work overseas.

The findings also showed that 42 per cent were professionals or managers, and 43 per cent made the move on the request of their employer. The typical expat has a professional career, is 43 years old, and earns an average salary of £67,000.

Dave Isley, head of NatWest IPB, said: “The study demonstrates the popularity among Britons of working abroad, particularly those who are highly skilled. This trend will increase as countries continue to seek out the talents of British workers and entice them to foreign climes with career opportunities and the chance to experience life abroad.”

But one of the main reasons for moving abroad was not due to the lack of jobs in the UK; it would seem it was the lure of a better job overseas, since only four per cent of expats surveyed believed the UK provided a lack of career opportunities. As much as 90 per cent of the expats surveyed said they were better off abroad compared with living in the UK, but the report also found well educated and accomplished emigrants are the most likely to return to their native shores.