London remains the most popular destination city for jobseekers despite the recession, research has revealed.
The study, which quizzed more than 66,000 employees from 40 countries, found that the UK was an attractive prospect for highly educated job seekers, with London, Manchester and Bristol attracting those with qualifications in management, finance and engineering.
Of all the employees willing to work abroad, 22% opted for London, followed by New York (16%) and Sydney (12%).
However, the research, commissioned by recruitment website totaljobs.com, found that
country was more important than city for two-thirds of job seekers.
The USA was the most popular country for more than half of respondents, followed closely by the UK (47%) and Canada 43%).
Almost half (46%) of the 2,600 UK employees polled were willing to seek employment abroad, believing they could gain new experiences, better career opportunities and a better standard of living overseas.
And nearly a quarter (23%) of UK job seekers cited the poor economic situation in their home country as a reason to leave.
John Salt, director of totaljobs.com said: “Contrary to popular belief, those coming to the UK for jobs are well educated and ambitious, often providing much needed skills in the UK economy.
“They are the result of a job market that has been globalised and with the rapid growth of the internet over the past five years it has made searching for jobs abroad easier.
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“While the UK is popular with jobseekers today, we predict an increase in competition for talent as the recession and exchange rates start to hit pay packets.”
Adam Marshall, director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Despite the fact that the UK faces a long road toward recovery, this survey shows that Britain remains a popular destination for global job seekers – and that we can still attract key talent from overseas. Our cities, and especially London, are seen as good places to live and work, which could help promote economic growth and vitality in the medium-term.”
