One in four UK workers 'would move abroad for work'

The number of people willing to walk away from the UK rises among younger, higher educated workers

More than one in four workers in the UK would move abroad for a better job, a survey suggests.

Research group GfK said 27% of 1,000 UK employees questioned were willing to change country, possibly driven by a desire to escape the high cost of living and static wages in the country.

And just under a quarter were looking to leave their employer within a year.

But other countries surveyed may be at a higher risk of a "brain drain", with Latin America potentially hardest hit.

The proportion of workers willing to move country was highest in Mexico (57%) and Colombia (52%), while Brazil and Peru also saw high numbers (41% and 38% respectively).

Even in the US and Canada - countries GfK describes as "traditionally stereotyped for their relative disinterest in living abroad" - a fifth of workers said they would leave to find a better job.

'Loss of talent'

In the UK, the chances of a brain drain appear higher among younger workers with 36% of those aged 18-29 willing to move.

Among higher educated workers, 36% of those with degrees and 38% of those with postgraduate qualifications said they would consider leaving.

"Even if only a fraction of these people actually move abroad, UK businesses will face a significant loss of talent, just at the time they most need it," said Sukhi Ghataore from GfK.

The GfK survey questioned more than 30,000 working adults in 29 countries.