Emigration among Britons has reached record highs

Nine out of ten expats are so glad to be gone

By News on the Net Sunday, April 25, 2010
- Steve Doughty, Dailymail.co.uk
Comments 578

The grass really is greener for expats. Nine out of ten say their quality of life has improved - earning more and enjoying better conditions than they would have in Britain.

On average, pay for managers and professionals who choose to work abroad is up to £20,000 higher than they would get here.

The findings from a study by NatWest underline the reasons why emigration among Britons has reached record highs.

It suggests that the attractions for talented and able workers of quitting Britain are strengthening during the recession as private sector wages stagnate and public services threaten to deteriorate.

More than 200,000 British citizens left the country to live abroad in 2006, followed by another 169,000 in 2007. But in 2007 only 75,000 Britons who had been living or working in a foreign country chose to return - again a record low.

The bank's Quality of Life report said that 19 per cent of those working abroad currently intend to come back to Britain at some time, down from more than a quarter, 26 per cent, two years ago. It said: 'When it comes to living and working overseas the advantages come thick and fast. Working hours are far less intensive and expats say they manage to achieve a better work/life balance with much more leisure time.
'Professional expats can earn significantly more than their peers back home. On average an expat professional's salary is up to £20,000 higher than their UK counterparts.'



While salaries failed to rise in Britain last year for those working outside the public sector or the banks, there were big increases for Britons working in some other countries. Workers consulted for the survey reported that over the past three years in Hong Kong their pay rose on average by 19 per cent, in the United Arab Emirates by 17 per cent, and in Spain by 14 per cent.

More than nine out of 10 reported pay increases over the period.
The survey, carried out among 1,306 Britons in 12 countries, examined quality of life factors including transport, entertainment, food, crime, housing, schools and healthcare alongside pay levels. It found nearly nine out of ten praised their work environment and work/life balance, and felt their quality of life was better than in Britain.

The countries with the lowest quality of life were those in the Far East and Middle East: China, Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE. In each of these countries a majority of British workers said they intended to return home to retire.

Those in France, Portugal and Spain, the U.S. and Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were less confident their earnings would continue to rise but they were more likely to stay on after their retirement.

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