Originally Posted by brits1

My brother works in Construction and has not been out of work at all.......I do notice though that people do tend to think it is soley happening to them (lack of work etc) and that it does not go on in different countries etc and start blaming their own country for their lack of job prospects and start to think the grass is greener as where, sometimes it is sometimes is certainly is not... construction here unless you work in new homes and roadworks then you will be lucky to get a job here as well.....there is building work in the City but these projects have already been planned well in advance along with staff etc so to get "in" on jobs like that you are very lucky...Perth can be a "closed" shop and is often who you know etc...you could be employed in the North West of Australia working away from home for more than likely 4weeks away one week home....in not so great conditions etc but earn great money..sounds too good to be true and very often for families it is...that's wy the pay is so good as nobody in their right minds would do that type of work..lol...I should know......have you thought of moving around the U.K.....London is starting to have a lot of work because of the Olympics....our oldest son thought about Architure for Uni but did some maths and decided he would be limited as it is a very competitive area etc...when we lived near Manchester my Oh use to work in Kent on the channel tunnel (it was in the last downturn in the workplace) he had no choice we had a little baby and a new home it was very hard but he is not the type of person to sit and mope...not saying you are but you do sound very negative....he has since had a career change (two) and now enjoys his type of work and it is highly sort after in todays modern world.....another thought would you change direction work wise...

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

Obviously I will try to look for stuff around the country first, my logic at looking at Canada is that the process is likely to take a long time, so if I start gathering information early and looking at possibilities now then I can fluidly move into this line of thinking if I do decide to leave. My reasons for leaving are quite complex, not just limited to 'there's no jobs', a lot of hit has to do with the 'feel' of the country now, everywhere you go there's this cloud of negativity hanging over things, it doesn't feel like a pleasant place to live anymore, there's the overall impression that things will get a lot worse before they start to get better.

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

Obviously I will try to look for stuff around the country first, my logic at looking at Canada is that the process is likely to take a long time, so if I start gathering information early and looking at possibilities now then I can fluidly move into this line of thinking if I do decide to leave. My reasons for leaving are quite complex, not just limited to 'there's no jobs', a lot of hit has to do with the 'feel' of the country now, everywhere you go there's this cloud of negativity hanging over things, it doesn't feel like a pleasant place to live anymore, there's the overall impression that things will get a lot worse before they start to get better.

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

Obviously I will try to look for stuff around the country first, my logic at looking at Canada is that the process is likely to take a long time, so if I start gathering information early and looking at possibilities now then I can fluidly move into this line of thinking if I do decide to leave. My reasons for leaving are quite complex, not just limited to 'there's no jobs', a lot of hit has to do with the 'feel' of the country now, everywhere you go there's this cloud of negativity hanging over things, it doesn't feel like a pleasant place to live anymore, there's the overall impression that things will get a lot worse before they start to get better.

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

OMy reasons for leaving are quite complex, not just limited to 'there's no jobs', a lot of hit has to do with the 'feel' of the country now, everywhere you go there's this cloud of negativity hanging over things, it doesn't feel like a pleasant place to live anymore, there's the overall impression that things will get a lot worse before they start to get better.

Originally Posted by Bevm

Your plan is good, to get the immigration stuff going, but in the meantime, do be wide open to moving anywhere with an interesting job and just see.

You say "everywhere you go". Do you mean just around where you are, or around England? We've come back from Canada, though we don't dislike Canada, so that's not the point. We've spent a little time in a number of places before settling, for now at least, in Whitby, and we haven't experienced a cloud of gloom. Nor do we know anyone out of work.

I'm not denying the reality. Clearly there are lots of people out of work, especially young people, and especially in some areas. But there are other places where that's not true, and they are as real as the depressed areas.

We can also choose what media to pay attention to, or not to pay attention to any of it.

Bev

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

I'm talking about places I have been, NW england, parts of Scotland and North Wales- there's not the same vibrancy 'energy' that there was a few years ago. I'll concede that my opinion is probably being swayed by political and socio-economic factors but I still keep in touch with people I went to uni with and of those that I have spoken to recently, 8/11 have been made redundant in the last 12 months- one has had to take a low paid job in a call centre because there's no work. I'm sick of being taxed to buggery on everything as well (I realise this happens everywhere but not to the level inflicted on the British)

Originally Posted by brits1

Oh lordy, you should go anywhere rather than stay in the U.K...if you think your not going to get taxed anywhere else you are living in la la land...and if you think that everyone who goes to a new country walks into a highly paid job then you definately are living in la la land...

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

I'm talking about places I have been, NW england, parts of Scotland and North Wales- there's not the same vibrancy 'energy' that there was a few years ago. I'll concede that my opinion is probably being swayed by political and socio-economic factors but I still keep in touch with people I went to uni with and of those that I have spoken to recently, 8/11 have been made redundant in the last 12 months- one has had to take a low paid job in a call centre because there's no work. I'm sick of being taxed to buggery on everything as well (I realise this happens everywhere but not to the level inflicted on the British)

Originally Posted by Victor Meldrew

Jobs in the Middle East are tax free. Likewise salaries are extremely high by most peoples standards.

It is fairly easy to save a large amount of money in a relatively short amount of time.

If you don't want a long term or permanent move, maybe go for a temporary 'fix' and do a few years somewhere else. Save up some cash, then return. At least this will give you some financial security if nothing else.

Brits 1 is right though, look carefully at whether it is your situation, or your general approach to/view of life which is making you see the negative.

Originally Posted by Wub

My son is just a little bit older than you and, like you, went to uni, managed to find a fairly reasonable job and was fortunate in that the company chose alternative cost cutting as the recession bit - which meant no redundancies.

Like you though, his salary didn't go very far and increasingly, he became very down, very frustrated and kept talking about emigration. A 'grass is greener', view of the world which at times became a tad 'obsessive' and worrying for me, his mum!

Anyway, he decided that if he was going to get anywhere, then first, he needed to build up both his skills set and his qualifications in an area that was both in demand and portable.

He signed up (and it took almost a year of interviews, form filling and familiarisation days), for the graduate teacher programme. He's now half way through his training and all being well, will qualify in July. He receives a salary too while training - which isn't huge...but it keeps things ticking over until he can secure a job for September.

Interestingly, like you, he's in the North West. Also, he's prepared to uproot himself and go where the work is....and the whole 'emigration', thing hasn't even been mentioned in recent times!

Sounds to me as if what you need is an opportunity.And a bit of careers advice.

They don't come knocking though and you have to actively get out there and find them.

The good news is - they are out there!

You come over as a young person who has very much to offer. Don't dwell on the negatives now. Seek out the positives and you truly can make things happen...just a bit of grit, determination and positive thinking will set things in motion for you.

Well....that's the advice I gave my lad anyway!

Originally Posted by RobLindsay

I'm talking about places I have been, NW england, parts of Scotland and North Wales- there's not the same vibrancy 'energy' that there was a few years ago. I'll concede that my opinion is probably being swayed by political and socio-economic factors but I still keep in touch with people I went to uni with and of those that I have spoken to recently, 8/11 have been made redundant in the last 12 months- one has had to take a low paid job in a call centre because there's no work. I'm sick of being taxed to buggery on everything as well (I realise this happens everywhere but not to the level inflicted on the British)

Originally Posted by Beedubya

Rob, I think you should get to Lime Street and buy a train ticket and head to the South of England, or get in your car and drive down here. You will be surprised at how much the "climate" changes as you get further south........and I'm not just talking about it being a tad warmer and certainly drier.

If you walk around a city like Bath it has an entirely different "feel" to a city like Liverpool or Manchester and the like.

There is more to the UK than the NW of England, North Wales and Scotland. Hence my move to Somerset............

Originally Posted by jonfrank123

Yep or even round here in West Oxfordshire. Next to zero crime and less than 1% unemployment.

Originally Posted by Beedubya

I think you are quite near to me Jon as I am in N. Somerset.

I am not saying there are no unemployed here, but I don't know anybody out of work, not that I know that many people down here but everybody I meet has some kind of job. Asda and Sainsbury's always seem to have plenty of people with full trolley loads, I don't see any beggars on the streets and one thing I have noticed and this is MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWPOINT is that there are not as many "disabled" (wheelchairs, walking sticks, walking frames, etc.) younger people down here as up north................