Why thousands of young Australians want to LEAVE the country and move overseas before the end of the year
Almost 40% of Australians aged 18-29 want to move overseas within the year
Most Australians cited job opportunities as the reason for their desire to move
Men are more likely to consider moving internationally compared to women
It is estimated that Australia will lose around 600,000 people cumulatively
The shocking data came from the latest study by Quantum Market Research
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More than one in five Australians are considering leaving the country within the next year, new research shows.
The data came from the latest AustraliaNOW survey by Quantum Market Research.
The study found Australia was set to lose around 600,000 people.
Almost 40% of young Australians aged 18-29 are considering moving overseas in the next 12 months, according to data from the latest AustraliaNOW survey by Quantum Market Research (stock image)
“With an increasing proportion of Australians intending to migrate internationally and Australia’s net overseas migration not set to fully recover until 2024, the nation is predicted to face a potential ‘cumulative’ loss of over 600,000 people, ” says the report.
Young people drive these numbers, and nearly 40 percent of those aged 18-29 want to move.
Men are more interested in moving internationally compared to women. The majority cited job opportunities as the reason.
‘Those looking to move are more likely to be aged 18-29 (73 per cent) and male (56 per cent compared to 41 per cent for women),’ the report said.
‘Lifestyle (and) quality of life has trumped cost of living as the strongest driver for a potential move (up from 40 per cent in February 2021 to 49 per cent in August 2022).’
‘Cost of living and housing affordability are strong secondary drivers with 45 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.’
Overall, 52 per cent of metropolitan Australians would consider moving either within the country or overseas, higher than the 42 per cent of those living in regional areas.
Western Australians were most likely to move within the country, while those living in NSW were most likely to consider moving overseas in the next year.
The data showed that men were more interested in moving than women, that most claimed job opportunities as the reason for moving, and that those living in capital cities were more likely to consider migrating abroad compared to those in regional areas (stock image)
QMR chief executive Imogen Randell (pictured) said the statistics were concerning as Australia was already facing critical labor shortages
The statistics have raised concerns about labor shortages in the next 12 months.
“The data shows that it is younger Australians under 40 who are most likely to be looking to move internationally and this is a concern because…they are the ones reliant on filling the workforce shortage, ” said QMR CEO. Imogen Randell told The Australian.
‘Many are working overtime to fill the void in the workforce, so they wonder about quitting and possibly leaving. The more that happens, the harder it will be for employers to find qualified staff. “Given this, it is gratifying that the federal government has already moved to increase the annual immigration intake.”
Australia was already facing significant labor shortages due to the lingering impact of the Covid pandemic and closed borders.
Ms Randall added: “There are already labor shortages and with the gap looming we will need to look at levers including skills training and particularly migration to fill positions across all sectors from unskilled to highly skilled roles.”