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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Alan Jones PA & Victoria Jones

Coronavirus crisis is 'accelerating' migration away from London

The coronavirus crisis is said to be accelerating migration away from London, as many of those who have been working from home during the lockdown want to continue doing so.

That is according to research by jobs site Totaljobs.

The study among 2,000 adults indicated that the pandemic is driving more people to relocate from the capital.

In 2019, net outbound migration from London stood at 30,000, meaning that for every nine adults moving to the capital, 10 were moving out, the equivalent of losing 83 workers every day, said the report.

Almost two out of five Londoners said their job commitments had previously stopped them moving away, but 43% now believed that flexible working offered by their employer would encourage them to move elsewhere, it was indicated.

Historically, one in three UK graduates move to London, but the research suggested a growing migration trend away from the capital.

Workers in cities in the South East and London are the most likely to want to move out of their city earlier than they had originally planned, as a result of Covid-19, said Totaljobs.

The pandemic could spark an "urban exodus", with workers increasingly moving to the countryside, it was suggested.

Jon Wilson, chief executive of Totaljobs, said: "Covid-19 has drastically impacted the way we live, what we want from our jobs, and how we strike the balance between home and work.

"The pandemic has affected jobs across many different sectors and, as a result, people are increasingly expanding their job searches beyond their immediate location.

"With many younger workers reporting that they would be interested in moving out of London if flexible and remote working options were available, there's a real opportunity for regional employers to attract highly skilled and experienced people looking to relocate."

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