Specialist roles record highest UK outmigration
No evidence of a tax haven brain drain, but software, AI, research and healthcare roles record higher outmigration from the UK.
UK workers are not leaving for lower-tax jurisdictions in significantly greater numbers than a decade ago, according to analysis by Revelio Labs. Higher rates of outmigration are concentrated among specialist occupations including software development, AI, research and healthcare.
Overall UK outmigration has declined over the past 15 years and has remained broadly stable since 2022. Revelio Labs analysed international job moves using employment records and professional profile updates.
Moves to the UAE, Switzerland and Luxembourg have not increased materially compared with 2015. Workers leaving the UK also earned less, on average, than those changing jobs within the UK, including those relocating to lower-tax jurisdictions.
Application programmers recorded the highest outmigration rate. User experience designers, healthcare professionals, AI professionals and research professionals were also among the occupations with the largest shares of workers moving overseas after changing jobs.
The occupations with the highest outmigration rates are concentrated in skilled and relatively well-paid roles. Across occupations, salary and outmigration show a positive, although weak, relationship.
Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic coincided, making it difficult to separate their effects on international labour mobility. Revelio Labs says the UK labour market has become less internationally connected, with lower levels of both inward and outward worker movement than before the UK's departure from the European Union.
The data do not support claims of a disproportionate outflow of higher-earning workers to lower-tax jurisdictions. Higher rates of outmigration are concentrated among specialist occupations.
The story
- Tax havens are not driving higher-earning worker outmigration from the UK.
- Specialist digital, AI, research and healthcare occupations record the highest outmigration rates.
- Overall UK outmigration has remained broadly stable since 2022.
- Retaining specialist capability remains a workforce challenge.