Relocating Expats Choosing Europe Rather Than The UK

Expat preferences are shifting in favour of European cities for the next career move rather than the UK.

According to the results of a recent survey, British cities’ lower quality of life is one of the main reasons expat professionals are now choosing cities in Europe as their preferred relocation destination. Other attractions are strong, affordable public transport options and a rich selection of cultural and recreational offerings. Vienna won the title of best city worldwide, followed by Zurich and Munich.

Once the number one posting for career-minded expats, London is now losing its gloss due to Brexit, the city’s appalling traffic jams and a lack of control over pollution and air quality. The capital was rated as 41st out of 417 worldwide cities, dropping from last year’s 34th position. Another reason to avoid the British capital is the rise in violent crime and terrorism attacks, with knife crime in particular at an all-time high and the murder rate now higher than in New York.

Fears about the city’s post-Brexit problems and London’s soaring cost of living aren’t just contributing to a lack of expat arrivals, as they’re major decision factors for the increasing numbers of expats who’re leaving. British employers are now struggling to fill the gaps left by expat talent heading onwards or back to its home country, with the NHS as the prime example. According to the recent Mercer report, a severe shortage of skilled workers is fast approaching.

At the present time, London’s job vacancies on the increase, with the UK as a whole showing 56,000 more vacancies than at the same time in 2017. The total number of vacancies across the UK now stands at over 800,000, the highest figure since records began, and the number of those seeking work is falling fast. Importantly, vast numbers of British millennials are leaving the UK to seek their fortunes elsewhere on the planet.