Indeed, the global jobs website, surveyed 2,000 workers and found that family ties were the main reason why 59% of men and 65% of women said they would not relocate within the UK or move abroad.The number of refusals among those aged between 34-44 was even higher with 70% saying they would not consider moving, many of them citing the fact they relied on grandparents for childcare.

Workers put family over salary when looking at relocating for jobs

Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said, “Our survey shows family plays a major role in people’s career choices and their willingness to relocate for work. When faced with the prospect of moving somewhere else for employment, jobseekers weigh up opportunity and happiness and we found the appeal of remaining close to loved ones means workers may even spurn better salaries to stay put.“The upshot for businesses is that those able to offer their employees more flexibility can use this as a calling card to incentivise – and attract – skilled workers who are unable to relocate.“The rise of flexible and remote working may have been enabled by technology such as video conferencing, but above all, it’s being powered by employers’ willingness to adapt to valuable workers’ changing lives and demands.”

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Other reasons cited by a quarter of respondents as a reluctance to relocate included the belief that their salaries would not be enhanced by a move, while 19% thought it would not be an option their partners would countenance.The situation in London, however, was somewhat different with almost half saying they did not believe better salaries were available elsewhere. And only 38% said family ties would deter them from relocating - a figure that went up to 89% among Welsh workers.

London is a hotspot for international assignments

Indeed said, "The research also confirmed London’s centre of gravity as a destination for jobseekers. Two in five Londoners have relocated there for work, while across the UK half of 16-24 year-olds have considered moving to the capital for work."However, once people are living and working in the capital, the plentiful supply of jobs makes it difficult for them to leave. More than half of Londoners say the lower availability of jobs elsewhere in the UK is a barrier to them relocating."The most common reasons respondents cited in favour of relocating were for new job opportunities (59%), improved salaries (59%) and cheaper living costs (38%).A marked difference in attitudes between male and female attitudes towards relocation emerged in the survey. While nearly a third of men said they had already moved to another city for a job, nearly as many women said they had not and had never considered doing so.

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