A household earnings survey that may assist the OP in his quest for UK information.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011...-earnings-fall

And an article on some personal experiences of families with different incomes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15197860

Here’s a list of tax freedom days to compare.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_Freedom_Day

Ok so why are Brits leaving in droves for countries like Australia and the US?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-MP-warns.html

"Britons leaving the UK are most likely to be going to Australia, followed by the US and Spain. France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand are also popular destinations."

(i) Brits are inveterate moaners as to their current situation;
(ii) It's a heck of a lot easier for a Brit to move given they can live anywhere else in the EU or EEA visa-free and have cultural ties to other Commonwealth countries. Where is an American going to go unless they already have a job offer in hand or are independently wealthy and retired?

The Daily Mail? Ok...

Odd there's no stats about returnees in that article.

People move for all sorts of reasons, you really would have to ask the individuals. Something like 0.5% of the population leave each year and obviously a good proportion return. Whether that constitutes 'droves' Im not sure.
You have to also remember that people from all those countries also move here.
I read recently that record numbers are leaving Australia, who knows the reasons why people leave a country?
The media have been talking about the brain drain for as long I remember.
You have to remember that a HUGE number of people love this country and have a wonderful comfortable life, others dont, just like everywhere.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/bef...ming-back.html

Maybe you like The Guardian better?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2...ivided-britain

The general consensus is that the economic outlook in the UK is bleak and is going to remain bleak for a decade at least. Debt to GDP ratio is high. There is no manufacturing industry left. No car industry. No mining of natural resources. The future was bet on financial services and even that looks suspect. The gap between rich and poor continues to grow and the middle class is disappearing. The ratings agencies have a negative outlook on the UK. Just not sure why some people think it's hunky-dory.

A lot of these issues apply to other countries too - but it looks to be worse in the UK.

Don't make assumptions. I have no agenda. Moving back to the UK is not something I have ruled out. I have family and friends there and there is much I miss about the country. However, many people I know who live there are unhappy with the state of the country and the bleak prospects for the future.

It's great that you're all right Jack. But there is much more to the country than you and yours.

That crappy rag has its own agenda.

Has anyone suggested in this thread that the situation in the UK is "hunky-dory"? What I see is that people generally see that the economic situation in most western countries is troubled. And funnily enough the ratings agencies have downgraded the US too and "The gap between rich and poor continues to grow and the middle class is disappearing" could just have easily - if not more so - have been said about the US.

Agreed. Think it's more a case of the middle classes being destroyed on purpose rather than simply vanishing.

Well the manufacturing industry will be surprised to hear they dont exist, the booming car industry that is producing record numbers of cars will be interested to hear it also doesnt exist. Huge amounts of gas have been discovered.
As someone who is actually living here I can assure you the general consensus is NOT that it will remain bleak for a decade, the OECD have just raised their outlook for the UK economy.
Noone has said anything about everything being hunky dory but you yourself are trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom. People living here dont necessarily agree

I have no idea or interest in whether you have an agenda or not, you do seem to have a lot of anger in you though.
It has nothing to do with Im alright Jack, I just dont agree with your innaccurate view of this country. Again just speaking as someone who lives here.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, (Oxford, LSE, Harvard Business School) says 20 years.

http://www.theweek.co.uk/economy/539...r-20-years-fix

And this is a government man whose job is to soft-soap the public and get the government re-elected.

Thank you Giantaxe! Succinctly put!
Maryland Ned, I lived in the US from 2007 to 2012, so saw the recession from the US side. I seem to remember their car industry needing a bit of help! Also TV campaigns about the beleaguered middle class on US TV.

What are you saying? People like me were foolish to return? How would it help the UK if I'd stayed in the US?
I would rather feel like I was part of an economic recovery in my own country.
I don't feel complacent, neither do I feel guilty about my choice to return, and don't have rose tinted spectacles about either place.
I actually think that the government has a damned hard job to do to get the country back on an even keel, and it's going to be a long difficult task, but I am pleased to be back and part of it!