One in three young people worry about emigration

One in three young Irish people are worried they will be forced to move away from their home to find a job.

An EU-wide survey has revealed young Irish adults are twice as concerned as their European counterparts about having to move to another location to get work once they have finished their studies. The research has also highlighted how young Irish people are among the least likely of all Europeans to vote in political elections.

Research by the European Commission shows 32% of young Irish people expressed a concern about having to move away from home to obtain employment, compared to the average among young EU citizens of 16%.

The findings come as it is officially estimated that 81,900 Irish people emigrated last year. According to the Central Statistics Office, almost 408,000 people have now left Ireland since 2009.

While young Irish people believe they may have to face the prospect of emigration to find employment, most young Europeans are more concerned about not finding long-term work or a stable job.

The survey also revealed that young Irish adults seem confident in their own ability and earning prospects as they are less concerned about lacking the right knowledge or skills and salary levels than most Europeans. Only 13% expressed a lack of confidence that they would find a job after finishing education, compared to 24% among all Europeans.

The research surveyed more than 13,400 respondents, aged 15-30, across the 28 EU member states, including over 500 in Ireland.

It also showed 16% of Irish people said they did not have any concerns about getting a job — slightly less than the EU average of 19%.

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