According to the Canary Islands Tourist Board, today is apparently the most miserable day of the year if you live in the UK. This is because it’s the first day back at work after the clocks have gone back and so the days have automatically become shorter and darker, and as a result an alarm bell has been sounded to tell us all that winter is really on the way and the summer sunshine is long gone!
However, I do remember reading somewhere that actually, the most miserable day of the year falls at the beginning of January…but anyway, whether today is allegedly the grimmest or you personally feel that other times of the year bring you down, we’ve got some much more interesting news about what’s happening at this time of the year that will cheer you up!
According to a British recruitment company specialising in placing people in the IT, engineering and legal professions, there has been a recent surge in the number of Brits who want to move abroad for work. So, whether you’re glum and in need of sunshine, or you just want to escape rising unemployment in Britain, you are not alone. We explore what’s on offer for those planning an escape…
The Canary Islands Tourist Board naturally has a vested interest in promoting the fact that we Britons are feeling glum and in need of sunshine of course – however, their research is of interest on a deeper level. Apparently almost half of the Britons they surveyed across the UK find this time of the year difficult, with 48% stating that they experience depression in the long British winter.
Employers are aware that productivity tails off dramatically towards year-end because of this overwhelming and pervasive air of depression and the inevitable festive season disruption, and so all in all it’s not really a great time to be in employment in Britain!
Alongside these findings comes evidence from the IntaPeople recruitment company that rising unemployment in the UK has resulted in people feeling there are fewer options open to them in Britain for work and career advancement. They cite this as one of the reasons for a surge that they have experienced since quarter 2 this year in people looking abroad for work and opportunity.
However, a spokesperson for the Joslin Rowe recruitment company in the UK believes that this increase in the numbers of people looking abroad is actually inevitable at this time of the year. The shorter days, lack of sunshine and distance from the summer are all drivers behind Brits traditionally taking active steps to plan their relocation.
We feel that whether it’s the time of the year or the economic prospects of the nation that are driving more people to consider living and working abroad is irrelevant, what’s key is that a) more people than ever are looking overseas for work and b) the opportunities available to them are often far more attractive that what’s on offer in the UK.
As Stephen Riley, the director of IntaPeople says: “Skilled workers are being drawn to extremely competitive overseas packages, many of which offer tax-free salaries, relocation costs and first-rate health care. These can prove very tempting to British workers, and even more so if the job is based in a country with a temperate climate.”
Okay, so we’re not fantasists and we can state categorically that such assignments are limited – but, if you have key skills particularly in IT, management or engineering, you are being sought after in the Middle East and in still emerging or developing economies such as Russia and China.
For everyone else – such as recent graduates who lack much experience to gain them the best job prospects – just the fact that many nations other than the UK are still recruiting means that there is such a real need to move abroad.
So whether you’re being pulled overseas by the thought of better weather, better job prospects or better potential employment contracts, don’t hold yourself back. You’re not alone and your need to relocate is actually natural.