Expat trends: Developed countries less attractive
Mexico’s Emigration Rate Falls again: Due to the U.S. recession, the number of emigrates to Mexico has declined for a second year. According to the national statistics agency, six our of every 1,000 inhabitants left Mexico this year. At the same time, more and more of the 30 million Mexicans living in the US consider going back to Mexico. The Mexican state of Michoacan alone expects that some 150,000 of the 3.5 million people who have left for the US will return in 2009.
Irish emigration expected to rise: According to an ESRI-forecast, next year there will be a net emigration of 50,000 people in Ireland. After 84,000 arrivals this year there are only 25,000 people expected to move to Ireland next year, while about 75,000 are expected to leave the country.
Record migration of New Zealanders to Australia: According to New Zealand´s government figures a record number of 48,500 New Zealanders emigrated to Australia in the last 12 months. The November 2008 year net outflow to Australia is the highest recorded, and exceeds previous peaks recorded in the January 1989 year (33,700) and the December 1979 year (33,400). The net figure (the difference between arrivals and departures) in the November 2008 year resulted from 48,500 PLT departures to Australia, partly offset by 13,200 PLT arrivals from Australia.
UAE Ministry of Labour wants to change visa fees: According to a plan of the Ministry of Labour visa fees for bringing in expatriate workers shall be restructured in order to create more job opportunities for Emiratis. The ministry proposed to reduce the visa fees of highly skilled expat professionals and increase the fees for bringing unskilled and menial workers into the country.
UK estimating financial expat exodus? According to a survey of 550 financial professionals published by eFinancialCareers, 29% the UK-based professionals from overseas do not expect to be working in the UK next year. The majority of those expecting to leave the UK are looking to to return to a city in their country of origin, 35% consider moving to emerging financial centres such as Shanghai or Dubai.
Expatriating doctors cause shortage in Hungarian health system: 500 to 600 doctors have left Hungary each year since it joined the European Union in 2004. According to a recent survey by the Health Services Management Training Center at Budapest’s Semmelweis University, 60 to 70 percent of first-year medical students are looking for a job abroad after graduation. Health care professionals in Hungary are worried by this trend: Already today, Hungary already has a shortage of doctors because of low payments and poor prospects concerning development and working conditions.
Ukrainian expats expected to return home: Experts expects that 200,000 economic migrants from the Ukraine will return to their home country. Today, the 1.5 million Ukrainians working abroad represent about 5% of the Ukrainian work poplulation, with half of them working in Russia and the other half in the European Union. However, most Ukrainian workers are receiving extremely low salaries, which are now expected to fall even further due to the economic crisis.
UPDATE: we have added to some information about the most popular expatriate destinations.
