There were 229 751 visitors last week*
* 30th January 2012 to 5th February 2012
The English Real Estate Portal for Poland
Deal Direct with Agents and Sellers on the Secondary Market
Deal Direct with Agents and Sellers on the Secondary Market
Thursday, 9th February 2012
Home > Polish Property Blog > Are the Poles Coming Home?
Are the Poles Coming Home?
March 2009
"There is now more than money on offer so perhaps Polish emigration will continue for many years to come" |
There is no doubt the Polish media are searching for evidence that the credit crisis has hit, or is about to hit, Poland. Part of almost every story is that Poles are returning home from abroad and that this is going to drive up domestic unemployment. It's a throw away comment which is now used by an ever widening group of commentators despite little to prop it up. It all makes sense and it all seems logical. The pound buys less zloty and there are fewer job vacancies in Western Europe. That should be all it needs to bring the economic emigrants of the last decade flooding back to a country. With new opportunities in white collar sectors and no shortage of Sushi bars this is a completely different Poland to the one they left behind. The statistics on offer suggest the "Poles are coming home" camp must be right. In Birmingham unemployment in 2008 was running at 9.2% compared to 1.6% in Poznań. It would be sensible for the Polish Brummies to return and revel in a wide choice of vacancies. A few years ago every pound a Polish worker earned abroad translated into seven zloty. Now it's down to five so saving ten thousand pounds heaving bricks in London is suddenly worth twenty thousand zloty less. Another good reason to throw it all in, or not to go in the first place. The arguments stack up theoretically but there are no official figures to confirm it either way. In Europe's free trade and labour zone it's as futile as trying to decide if more people are moving from Surrey to Kent, and if so for what reason. And it all assumes there is only one driver in any decision to take a job abroad, money. But truth be told this is an outdated motivator. Certainly in the turmoil of the nineties many did leave for work in another country simply because they had to. When they returned cash rich their neighbours were impressed and followed suit. Since 2005 however, Poles have been able to work legally in many countries and this has opened the door to the skilled jobs that many were always qualified for. Now there are actually even more reasons to go. Firstly it's a culture thing. Like British graduates backpacking the globe, the Polish young like to try their hand working in the West. Ask students if they believe the tide has turned and less people are moving out, most would disagree. Employment in another nation has strong advantages beyond cash. There is the chance to perfect language, see different business practices, gain a wider experience and broaden the horizons. Most know these are strong assets on any CV and a few years away can allow them to leap frog the career ladder on their return. Jane Durrant, managing director of Euromost Polska agrees. "With their skills and experience gained abroad we are replacing returnees in more responsible positions than they would have had if their experience had been limited to Poland." Secondly, there are other aspects that make much of Western Europe a temptation. For women working environments can be far more politically correct and female career paths are less frowned on. Some have commented that Polish men domestically just "can't cope" with the radical culture change seen in the last ten years while foreign countries have broken down many of the barriers. Thirdly, The burdening bureaucracy that handicaps Polish businesses does not exist in countries such as Britain. From forming a company to filing your tax returns. Everything is simpler, quicker and far more user friendly which means workers can spend their time on the job rather than the paperwork. Finding conclusive evidence either way remains elusive. Talking to people in their twenties leaves you with the impression that the out flow is still growing whereas those in their thirties notice how many friends, colleagues and family members are coming back, but this has always been the case as most who travel to the West do so when they are young and return a few years later. Who you ask has a substantial influence on what you might choose to find or report. The theory goes that the current global crisis will force Pole's back. But the last recession didn't see the Irish leapfrogging from Hollyhead to the homeland in noticeable numbers so why should this one cause the Polish to do the same? Now that there is more than money on offer, perhaps Polish emigration will continue for many years to come. |
SEO by How To SEO |
Website created and maintained by
link2light design