AUSTRALIA

Aussies prepared to move for the right job

MORE than half of Australian workers are willing to move overseas for the right job, according to...

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The survey by global recruitment firm Kelly Services also found 71% would be prepared to relocate to a different city to find work, and 14% prepared to spend at least two hours a day commuting.

The results come from 115,000 people in 33 countries, including 19,000 Australians. Participants were asked about their patterns of travel to and from work, their capacity to move to find the right job and the main factors preventing them from relocating.

Kelly Services country manager James Bowmer said the results reveal a high degree of mobility in the workforce, with many people comfortable with the idea of moving considerable distances for the right job.

"With a more globalised workforce, there is increasingly a recognition that people may have to relocate to find the right work or to advance their career," he said.

"There are many skills that are easily transferable across borders including in areas such as banking and finance, IT, science and engineering.

"For many workers, the chance to move to a different city or country can be a rewarding professional experience as well as a good lifestyle choice."

According to Kelly Services, the findings are good news for Australian employers faced with a skills shortage, as targeting employees from another city or country is an effective way of filling the gaps in the labour market.

Among the other results, 40% of respondents would consider relocating to a country where they did not fluently speak the local language and 60% said they would like to stay working where they currently live.

Workers most likely to relocate were aged up to 34 years with males more willing to pack up and move than females.

The main complicating reasons for not moving were family (61%), language barriers (39%), children's schooling (21%) and property ownership (16%). Tax complications and pension/superannuation rights were other minor issues.

The survey also found 40% of Australians would like to move away from their current working location before they retire.

"This suggests that significant numbers of people will be actively looking to change their jobs, homes and lifestyles, with implications for employment, urban planning and transport infrastructure," Bowmer said.

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