Many employees in Germany could imagine working in another country. This is shown by a non-representative study by the Appinio Institute, commissioned by the job posting platform Indeed. According to it, two thirds of the workers surveyed are considering the possibility of looking for a job abroad, and one third have already made specific inquiries. The most sought-after destinations in this regard are the US, the UK and Switzerland - with interest in the US having recently declined, writes the public media ARD.
Sign of dissatisfaction with conditions in Germany
“However, if two thirds of employees are considering leaving, this should be seen as a sign of dissatisfaction with the conditions of the local labor market“, the publication quotes Indeed economist Virginia Sondergeld. In general, however, international mobility is a positive thing. “Politicians and employers should take these signals seriously: in a dialogue with employees, it is important to create new incentives to work in Germany, to improve working conditions and thus offer talented people real reasons to stay”, she says.
The desire to go abroad is particularly strong among high-paid employees. Around half of the group of people with a net household income of over 6,000 euros have already actively applied for a job abroad or are actively exploring the foreign job market. However, according to Indeed, the vast majority do not want to stay abroad forever – rather, those who want to leave indicate terms between a few months and a few years, notes the ARD.
Desire for lower taxes and fees
The main motive is not the desire for better career opportunities (1/4 indicated this reason): most people are looking for higher pay and a better quality of life (over 50 percent each). The motive of more than 40 percent of those surveyed is the lower tax and social security burden.
The survey was conducted in May this year among a total of 1,000 workers in Germany aged between 16 and 66, half of whom are women.
Many of those who want to leave are young people
It seems that it is among young people that going abroad is particularly attractive. According to a survey of young people in Germany (from this year), 41 percent of more than 2,000 respondents aged between 14 and 29 said that they were considering moving permanently to another country, and around a fifth were already actively working towards it. The reasons cited include uncertain job prospects and the tense situation on the German housing market. Added to this is the feeling that politicians are not listening to them.
“Many young people are now asking themselves very specifically whether they still see their future in Germany“, Professor Nina Koleck from the University of Potsdam and co-author of the survey recently told the “Berliner Zeitung”. "If we do not take the concerns of young people seriously, we ignore the fact that they are our future, and we risk losing important potential given the shortage of qualified personnel," the public ARD quoted her as warning.