One Quarter Of U.K. Workers Want To Work Abroad, Eyeing Spain

Recent data suggests a growing desire among U.K. employees to work from abroad while maintaining their positions at companies based in the country.  

According to a report published by the Daily Mail, a study conducted by the international money app Zing found that nearly a quarter (23%) of U.K. workers want to work fully remotely — allowing them to live anywhere in the world while employed by U.K. firms. 

The research, which surveyed 2,000 U.K. adults, revealed that Generation Z (defined in the survey as those aged 18-24) is at the forefront of this trend, with 44% expressing a desire to extend the work-from-home culture to working from abroad.  

Millennials (defined in the survey as those aged 25-39) followed closely behind, with 35% believing they should be allowed to relocate internationally if permitted to work remotely. 

The change in attitudes has already been reflected in the practices of some U.K. institutions. The Daily Mail reports that the National Health Service (NHS) has allowed hundreds of staff members, including senior consultants and managers, to work thousands of miles from the U.K. over the past two years.  

The study also found that more than half (62%) of Generation Z believe that at least a part of their working life will be spent abroad. 

Spain is reported to have emerged as the most popular destination for those wanting to work overseas — with 40% of all age groups expressing a desire to work there. This was followed by Canada (33%), the United States (31%), Australia (30%), and Italy (28%). More recently, Italy has officially launched a digital nomad visa specifically designed for skilled non-EU remote workers.  

As remote work and digital nomadism becomes increasingly normalized around the world, the trend of working from abroad is expected to continue to shape the future of employment not just in the U.K., but in other countries.  

These trends raise important questions about the potential impacts working abroad could have on productivity, work-life balance, and employee rights — as well as the need for local economies to figure out best practices to safeguard local populations from rising housing costs.