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Techies happy to migrate to get a job
'But Simon was sitting right here yesterday... '

By Natasha Lomas

Published: Tuesday 09 December 2008

UK IT workers are ready to clear more than their desks if the right job comes calling.

The vast majority (81 per cent) of techies would happily up sticks and move abroad if a job or work opportunity landed in their lap, according to research by IT jobs site The IT Job Board. A slightly smaller majority (71 per cent) would be happy to relocate to another location within the UK for the same reason.

The survey also found over 60 per cent of techies routinely cast their eye beyond Blighty's shores when searching for jobs.

Of those who said they would head offshore, almost a third said they would do so to further their career, with less than a fifth saying the current economic downturn would inspire them to leave the UK.

More than a third of respondents are upbeat about domestic IT job prospects - saying they believe Blighty will continue to see strong growth in demand for IT professionals.

For techies choosing the good life elsewhere, braining up on the language is a must - more than a third said the language barrier is the main challenge when moving to a foreign country.