Mass exodus from UK
Catherine Deshayes
The Move Channel.com
Friday, May 15, 2009
New research has found that a whopping 11 million Brits are thinking of taking a job overseas within the next two years – a significant dent in the population – and a fifth of those would choose a new life down under…
Britain is experiencing the greatest exodus of its own nationals in recent history while immigration is at unprecedented levels, new figures show.
In 2007, 207,000 British citizens – one every three minutes – left the country and currency specialist Foreign Currency Direct has revealed that one in four working Brits are now looking to leave the country for sunnier climes and better job opportunities.
More British live abroad than any other nationality and the levels of emigration are now the same as those seen in the late-1950s when the 10 Poms left for Australia.
An increase in tax levelled at high wage earners coupled with rising UK unemployment is thought to be partly behind the mass exodus.
The research found that men are almost twice as likely as women to opt for a job overseas and moving abroad was most popular with Brits aged between 18 and 30 and also those in the 51 to 60 age bracket, perhaps seeking a better lifestyle for their retirement.
With the number of unemployed in Birmingham higher than in any other major UK city, people living in the Midlands are subsequently the most likely to look for a job overseas – 17 per cent of them compared to just 13 per cent in Wales and the South West.
The majority of people planned to head for a country with a warmer climate, more days of sunshine and those that were English speaking.A fifth of people named Australia as their top choice; one in six selected the USA and one in ten chose New Zealand. Canada was also a popular choice.
Peter S. Ellis, Chief Executive of Foreign Currency Direct, said, “As people struggle to find jobs, it is no wonder that Brits are considering bailing out the UK.
“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 USA as Britons look overseas for a better quality of life.”
Love note – not only could you enjoy a better lifestyle in Australia, but your relationship could be happier too – divorce rates are just 40 per cent in Australia compared to 70 per cent in the UK.
