Expat professionals biding their time before quitting Brexit Britain

Recruiters for Gulf State jobs are expecting a boom in expat professional applicants due to the fallout from Brexit.

UAE-based consultancies haven’t seen an uptick in applications as yet, but they believe once the economic reality of Brexit becomes apparent the migration will begin. Analysts now believe some 80,000 jobs will be lost in London alone. One report commissioned by London’s mayor estimates a no-deal Brexit will cost the country as a whole some half a million jobs as well as almost £50 billion in investments.

To date, the UK’s labour market has defied expectations by means of employing an extra 167,000 people in the last quarter of 2018, and pay growth is still ongoing. However, analysts believe the increase in worker numbers is being spurred by employers hiring extra staff rather than investing in new software or machinery, as people are easy to let go should the economy head south. If both investment and employment contract, the numbers of applications for jobs overseas are certain to rise.

As regards good destinations for would-be expat professionals, the UAE is already crammed with top talent, leaving those wishing to quit the UK being forced to look further afield. Singapore, Southeast Asia and Australia are attractive options, but the UAE is closer to the UK and has a reputation for massive salaries. Whether the emirates have enough vacant jobs to satisfy demand is another matter, especially as the Gulf States as a whole are now concentrating on getting their reluctant citizens into work.

Those more likely to get a chance to work in the Middle East are expat professionals with previous experience in the region, although those with highly individual skill sets in IT, space programmes, nuclear sciences and transportation should be able to score, as these sectors are only just being developed in the region. One global recruitment company is already seeing an increase in applications, mostly from FinTech staff, qualified accountants and finance managers, although it’s usual to see a jump in numbers during the post-Christmas period. To date, no-one’s admitted they’re leaving the UK due to Brexit