Majority of people relocating in Ireland under 40 and highly qualified

/ 15th June 2022 /

The vast majority, or close to three-quarters, of people who are relocating across Ireland are under 40 years old, and nearly half have a higher level of former education, according to the third annual National Remote Working Survey.

Some 48% of those that have relocated in the last year hold a masters or doctoral degree, and nearly two-thirds of those choosing to move have relocated from Dublin (63%) while 7.7% have left Cork and 7.4% moved from Galway.

Galway (10.1%) and Cork (9.2%) were the top two destinations for relocation within Ireland, ahead of Wicklow (5.9%), Kerry (5.8%), Wexford (5.7%), Dublin (5.5%), and Kildare (4.6%). 16.8% of respondents to the survey who would or would maybe consider relocation opted to move abroad.

A tenth of survey respondents said they have relocated within Ireland since Covid-19 because they can work remotely, but analysis conducted by Western Development Commission and NUIG Galway shows the counties surrounding Dublin remain popular due to hybrid working.

"The National Remote Work Survey has identified a broad trend over the last three years that just under 10% of respondents have already moved with further significant numbers actively considering it," said Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of the Western Development Commission.

"This supports anecdotal evidence and stories that are familiar to many of friends and colleagues that have moved to more regional and rural locations. This trend highlights the importance of remote work in supporting balanced regional development and initiatives like the ConnectedHubs network and legislative support for remote work can sustain these trends into the future."

The survey also highlighted that more women (61.5%) than men have relocated and of those who already relocated because they can work remotely, 46% rented their home and 54% owned their home.

Some 76% of those who have relocated are aged under 40 years, compared to 47.8% of the survey population, while quarter of all those who relocated were aged under 30 years (24.9%) and these comprise 12.9% of survey respondents.

"The current tight labour market, relatively high house prices and the more established practice of remote working compared to just a few years ago are key factors," the report concluded of the trend towards relocation.

(Pic: Getty Images)