In may of 2009, the ONS revealed that emigration has been climbing since the turn of the millennium.
With the current trend of Off-shoring, and the pressure of the recession, it has changed the landscape of business. But how has the IT industry been affected?
Nearly 76% of people state that Brain Drain of the UK IT professionals is a threat to the IT industry.
68% of people have cited off-shoring as one of the most significant factors contributing to the Brain Drain, most said this would not impact their decision to move.
Some say that a reduction in contract rates is a major issue contributing to Brain Drain in the UK. An alarming fact is that many IT Contractors have been made redundant over the past year and companies are cutting costs wherever they can, therefore it is no surprise that this is a key concern pushing people abroad.
Furthermore, the majority of respondents stated that the long-term prospects of the industry itself will have a significant or very significant impact to the IT Brain Drain.
The majority of those considering a move would leave the country for more than five years. This not reinforces the undeniable lack of confidence in the UK IT industry but also means we could be looking at a shortage of IT professionals than is already projected.
Considering the state of the UK economy, it seems people are going to further lengths to find work. This includes relocating, and not just within the UK and Europe but also the rest of the world.
According to the ONS, in 2006 32% of emigrants from the UK went to live in Australia or New Zealand, the most popular destination. The second and third countries Brits are emigrating to are Spain and France.
So what does this mean for the future? When the economy does eventually recover, will the UK need to drive IT candidates from overseas to fill the void? Or will off-shoring trends continue to average out until the balance is maintained?
It is difficult to say, however the economic recovery will take quite some time, therefore all anybody can do at the moment is simply speculate.
