Most Australian Workers Willing to Move for Career

March 1, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Over 78% of Australian employees would move overseas to pursue a new career opportunity, according to a recent Employee Insights Survey conducted by international recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

The International Business Times reports that when asked which factor would most influence them to move overseas, respondents cited better salaries (42%), the opportunity to work for a larger company (17%) and moving closer to family/friends (15%). Europe was the most popular destination for an overseas move (37%), followed by Asia (30%) and the Americas (13%).  

“Organisations across all industries will face an acute skills shortage in 2011, which will be exacerbated by the desire of employees to pursue new opportunities overseas. As the war for talent intensifies, employers will need to increase their focus on developing effective retention strategies to avoid losing key employees,” said Robert Walters’ Managing Director – Australia, James Nicholson, according to the news report.  

The International Business Times said a survey of New Zealand workers also found that 78% of employees would move overseas to pursue a new career opportunity. However, the reasons for moving differed slightly, with 55% citing better salaries, followed by opportunities to travel (16%) and gaining international experience (13%).   

Australia was the most popular destination cited by New Zealand respondents for an overseas move (36%), followed by Europe (27%) and the Americas (10%).

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