Global positioning

Glorious British summer notwithstanding, just over half of the people who responded to our survey were tempted by the prospect of working abroad and just under a tenth already were.

A majority of quantity surveyors, architects, civil engineers and project managers would move abroad; most main contractors, building surveyors and technicians would prefer to stay in the UK, perhaps a reflection of the nature of the roles available overseas to people in those professions. Women were just slightly more open to the idea than men, though this is probably because the average age of female respondents was lower - the more significant variation was to be found across different age groups. The under 35s were the most footloose, with three quarters welcoming a move. On the other hand, in the over 55s age group, only 30% would consider it.

The most popular destinations were the US, Australia, New Zealand, France, Canada, Spain and Dubai.

Those who had already packed and left mostly aged 35-44, perhaps reflecting the demand for experience among foreign employers. They'd been in their jobs a slightly shorter time than home-based colleagues and were far more likely to have found their job through a friend than a recruitment consultancy, though direct applications were still narrowly the most common route. Promotion prospects and the desire for a fresh challenge were important motivating factors - unsurprisingly 'being close to home' was important to few and the opportunity to work abroad was a much greater consideration. Expats are less concerned about the ‘lifestyle' perks employers might offer in salary packages such as car allowances and gym membership, hard cash alternatives such as bonuses and share options were more important.

But some clearly felt they were in hardship postings. A larger than average proportion of those working abroad were looking for a new job, fewer expected to stay in construction until they retired and twice as many were worried about training opportunities. And when asked what factors would make them want to leave, 7% cited ‘too much travelling' - almost the same as the overall sample.