pain-in-spain

These forums are good to get insights into what people are really going through in the countries they moved to and back home. It's very clear that things are really serious in most countries in the world, in other words nowhere is untouched by this sea of unemployment - essentially there are too many people searching too view jobs and there are many complex reasons for this, but looking at history will show that like the climate it's a cycle with waves of depression, waves of prosperity. Perhaps the last depression of a similar or even worse scale was in the 1930's - of course, things have changed a lot since then and we've all got used to our luxuries and lifestyle and therefore cutting back is really hard and lowering our expectations even harder. It's all about being very flexible, trying to keep positive and retain goals, I know from my experience it does seem impossible.

Here in Spain, young adults (anything up to 35 years old over here) with university degrees have always found it hard to find suitable posts, nothing new there. Spain has a long and unpleasant history with high unemployment, the issues that caused this in the past have not been dealt with and with the domino effect from Europe and beyond it's clearly got much worse. As I keep saying, it is still much much worse here than in the UK. The UK has always been considered a prosperous country with way too generous benefit hand outs (for those that don't deserve it), here you only get something if you've worked and even then it runs out after 6 months to the very maximum of 2 years - something the UK might consider in certain cases.

The UK, most especially London has been generous in employing all types of foreigners for many many years, this is why it's the melting pot it is. Here in Barcelona you'd be hard pushed to find a foreigner (educated European for example) in a good job, they keep these for the locals. There are only so many jobs available for the population that requires work. The recession has changed the perception of the UK, although it's still a top destination for foreigners searching for work, not just to earn some cash but to learn our language which in turn can improve their job prospects back home or in other countries, this is fair enough.

The poster who says there are no jobs and is going to leave the UK as a result should be very careful. Moving abroad is not all it's made up to be - just read these forums and you'll see. There are other issues to be considered when moving, not least the work but cultural and otherwise. This explains the plethora of expats in OZ and NZ who have found good jobs and are still miserable as hell, it's not all about work.

I have missed my country for years, even during times when I had a reasonable job and level of income comparable to London (those periods were very short lived though!), a good job is important, any job is important these days, but it is still not the be all and all when weighing up leaving your home and culture behind, especially in these very precarious times that all of us in every country are facing.

I am still planning to move back to London, even if I am lucky enough to find some work here in Barcelona in the next few weeks, I've made up my mind and in many ways my awful experience with struggling to find work here has put me in a determined and very flexible frame of mind for when I am finally back in London!

Pistolpete2

Interesting thoughts Pain

One thing I'll throw into it though is that most probably this employment problem in Western Europe and indeed in the United States though exacerbated by the financial crisis and global recession is probably NOT going to be cyclical. Before Asia arrived on the scene Western Europe was THE manufacturing hub on the planet and many of the manufacturing jobs have now disappeared (the UK lost a million manufacturing jobs in the Labour government's term alone) and will be replaced in Asia.

The UK bulked out public service jobs to replace lost ones elsewhere, a condition that was both unsustainable and disastrous for the economy. To that extent we are cyclical because we are just going back to public sector job levels before the "explosion".

BUT

If Western Europe cannot increase its manufacturing workforce in the face of increasing new demand for exports from Asia and maintain it in spite of attempts from Asia to innovate into Europe's zone of technology we are in for an era of PERMANENT decline. For example, there are still pockets of unemployment in areas such as South Wales where there has been no employment since the end of coal mining in the sixties. Of course it is also critical that financial services in Europe play a role in meeting the expected increase in demand for services from Asia but more and more we see big companies refocusing on headquartering in cities like Shanghai in China. (More) Trouble ahead!

insearchoflife

You sound desperate..

Gabgoeshome

What are you talking about ?

Please fill us in with more details so that I don't assume you are being catty .

Beedubya

Desperate to leave Australia and go back home? Yes ain't that the truth. I cannot wait, thank you very much.

Oh and BTW this part of the forum is called MOVING BACK TO THE UK.

Canuck74

I think people on here are over exaggerating how bad things are in the UK. Stop reading the Daily Mail!!!!!

dunroving

I never read the Daily Mail.

I live in the UK.

I can tell you I KNOW that things are bad in at least some employment sectors because I am living it (350 redundancies last year, 100 to come this year, Glasgow University just announced it is going to close down whole departments).

jamesbulman

I don't mean to minimize the difficult situation some people are in, but the job situation (as always) very much depends upon the sector you work in.

I'm a programmer in the video games industry and just before Christmas I interviewed for several different positions in the UK and received job offers from all of them. Also, friends/colleagues I know who have been laid off recently have all found new jobs within a few months.

Yes things are bad out there but it's not universally bad.

Pistolpete2

Opportunities seem to exist for:

Partly and newly qualified accountants
In Healthcare and support services* in general
and in IT as you indicated

*Not Govt support services such as SERCo

fatcat65

what about sparkys any work for them?

Pistolpete2

Of course but might depend where you are at. No (or not many) houses being built but plenty of fixer uppers especially in London.

Folks on these boards need electricians but they are in the Highlands so I believe.

Beedubya

I know the UK job situation is bad, but it is bad the world over, yes even in sunny Australia where the sun never sets.......

As I said before I work with a colleague who has a degree and is employed as an Accounts Clerk, my replacment (I am leaving my job tomorrow) has a degree and speaks 4 languages and will be on the same rubbish pay as I am on.

I have lived here for almost 30 years and have VAST workskills and experience and I was unemployed for 3 months when I got back from England, I could not even get an interview and as for the cost of living here!! I think I notice the prices more because I lived for a year in the UK.........

So please all you people who think you are going to walk into a job in Australia and be rolling in dosh, do some serious research.

Sergia

Where do we go then?

Beedubya

Why, where else of course but home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6VT...eature=related

janeyk

intresting (quote ' jobs exsist for accountants") I returned home for 7 months and struggled to find work I was too qualified otr the post was already filled advertised as a formality, I wanted to say but could not live on my savings for ever!