stay in ireland or migrate

showmetheway · 12-09-2010 07:20PM #1

I am a 32 year old single man working in full-time employment earning 40k a year, I don't have a mortage or any dependents so I was wondering with the state the country is in and it looks as if its going to get worse whether I should leave my job and migrate to Australia or Canada, I know some people will say its mad to leave a permanent job but my job while safe for now there are never any guarantees,I am also looking for a better long term prospects?

ardmacha · 12-09-2010 08:03PM

You can be sure that you will receive lots of gloom and doom here. But because the short term prospects are not great, your long term prospects in Ireland may well be fine. A person who didn't emigrate in 1987 (say) would be in pretty good shape 10 or 12 years later.

JayEnnis · 12-09-2010 08:05PM

If you have a stable job then stay.

40k is plenty for someone with no dependents.

Arnold Layne · 12-09-2010 08:16PM

Leave when you don't have have a job and use your redundancy to help you out. Thats only if your employer pays more than statutory as you may have to wait a while before it gets sorted.

If you can get organised with a job, within your own field, and your take home pay is better then by all means get out now and explore pastures new.

Best Of Luck, but don't be fooled by grass being greener on t'other side!

Brussels Sprout · 12-09-2010 08:44PM

Do you have friends and family here? Do you have friends and family in your likely destination?

Moving abroad on you own is tough. While the thrill and novelty of being in a new place is brilliant after a while it wears off and if you're on your own things can be difficult. It can be pretty hard to make new friends and you'll be surprised how much you may miss your friends when you're gone. If you're very outgoing and make new friends easily then this won't be such an issue but it's something you should be aware of.

showmetheway · 13-09-2010 12:20AM

i have a brother whos been in aus the past 4 or 5 years

nadir · 13-09-2010 01:48AM

I'm in a very similar situation as the OP.

31 years old, no dependents, on around 40k, permanent job etc.
I'm renting here and never bought a place.

Anyway to make a long story short, got a new job abroad, will be leaving next month for the foreseeable future.
I got a much better salary and as far as I can see my prospective country has a lower tax rate, higher standard of living and MUCH better weather.
I think cost of living will also work out better.
I find here still way too expensive, I can't wait to get out, and finally looks like I can do it so I'm pretty happy.
There are really good opportunities out there if you havn't got anything holding you back, I think this country is going to go to the wall and I don't want to be here to pay off other peoples debt.

Mister men · 13-09-2010 07:03AM

40k. You should sit tight. That's a terrific wage.

Nolanger · 13-09-2010 06:22PM

Move to Oz - you can knock up a shelia and then do a runer back here. If you get an Irish lass in touble there goes the 40K on maintenance and legal costs.

BluePlanet · 14-09-2010 08:47AM

If you can get out, then you probably should.
What is there to look forward to, regarding living in Ireland for the next 10 years?

- more taxes for less services
- more grumpy faces providing those services
- strikes
- more social problems as a result of a depressed economy/people
- cheaper property
- lower wages

I'm sure there are positives in there, if you look long and hard.
But the point is, you shouldn't have to.

You may find you'll have to pay more taxes in another jursdiction, even on lower wage, but you'll most likely get first class services along with it.

The_Honeybadger · 14-09-2010 09:41AM

Many people would kill to be in the OP's situation, earning 40k with no dependants and no major financial obligations. If you feel you can do better abroad and would be happy there then go. However if you like living in Ireland, you are in a very good place financially compared to alot of people. I can't leave due to family reasons, but if I was in the 20-25 age bracket I'd probably be gone already tbh. It really is up to yourself and I don't think you will find the answer here. Personally I believe the standard of living in this country is gonna go way down in the coming years as we all pay more tax, and the country struggles with massive unemployment and debt problems, the feel good factor of the last decade is very much a thing of the past, other economies are in a much better place.

Fentdog84 · 15-09-2010 06:11PM

Well it depends what type of industry you are in & if you're job is under threat you should keep one eye in the future, is it public/private sector? 40 k is a great wage especially if you are single theres lots of unemployed people with families & mortgages trying to survive on 4 times less than that so you should count yourself lucky. but all the same you are right to be concerned with the way things are going in this country at the moment.i mean the government are basically paying people to **** off now which is wrong because we are losing a lot of skilled & qualified people. what a mess! :rolleyes:

Zynks · 15-09-2010 09:12PM

Your biggest asset at the moment is your freedom to choose. There are many people who would love to be in your situation.

What would I do? I would probably go for a bit of adventure. You might not have many opportunities later on - family, mortgage, loans, etc. I did it when I was a bit younger than you and when I meet my old friends sometimes I get the feeling so much happened to me while their lives seems to be stuck in time...

mikemac · 15-09-2010 11:27PM

You're young, no mortgage and no dependents.

Head off and see somewhere new.
If you don't do it now, in five years you may be tied down with a family and mortgage and you will never do it.

Just keep a nest-egg maybe 10k stashed away so if you ever get stuck with unemployment or need money for apartment deposits on your return you won't be stuck.

It's not all doom and gloom, some areas in Ireland are doing well and paying bonuses.

So consider what area you work in, if it doesn't work out abroad you may get another 40k job on your return

mathie · 16-09-2010 09:16AM

BluePlanet wrote: »

If you can get out, then you probably should.
What is there to look forward to, regarding living in Ireland for the next 10 years?

- more taxes for less services
- more grumpy faces providing those services
- strikes
- more social problems as a result of a depressed economy/people
- cheaper property
- lower wages

I'm sure there are positives in there, if you look long and hard.
But the point is, you shouldn't have to.

You may find you'll have to pay more taxes in another jursdiction, even on lower wage, but you'll most likely get first class services along with it.

These two are a bad thing?!

1. Property is still way overpriced and needs to come down for people to be able to afford it.
2. We need to lower wages to become more competetive. Our minimum wages is 50% higher than the EU average.

jmayo · 16-09-2010 09:56AM

showmetheway wrote: »

i have a brother whos been in aus the past 4 or 5 years

Go join him.
It's a very nice country where you do actaully realise there is a sun.

Get out of this God forsaken banana republic.

All you are going to get here is more taxes, less services and more sh**.

Forget the s*** about how the quality of life is better here, it is not really.
Believe it or not they have pubs, clubs and beer in Oz as well.

Even though in Oz there are snakes, spiders, fish, etc that can kill you in hours, IMHO you die a slower death in this country.

And yes I would be long gone out of here, but for my other half who wants to stay close to family.

You have no ties so go now.
Travel and see the world.

BTW what part of Oz is your brother in ?

Brussels Sprout · 16-09-2010 10:19AM

jmayo wrote: »

Even though in Oz there are snakes, spiders, fish, etc that can kill you in hours, IMHO you die a slower death in this country.

And if that frightens the life out of you then go to NZ which doesn't have any of the above and whilst being a cooler climate than Australia is still far better than in Ireland (hot summers, cold winters and less rain). The wages are ****e though (in comparison to Oz).

Noffles · 16-09-2010 10:27AM

ardmacha wrote: »

You can be sure that you will receive lots of gloom and doom here. But because the short term prospects are not great, your long term prospects in Ireland may well be fine. A person who didn't emigrate in 1987 (say) would be in pretty good shape 10 or 12 years later.

So you're saying the OP shoud stick around for another 10 or 12 years as it "may well be fine" by then... this has to be a joke?? 10 - 12 years is a very long time to put up with the misery of a depression... especially in a country this size...
He should leave while he can enjoy the next 10 - 12 years elsewhere then maybe come back... and that's a HUGE maybe!

Zynks · 16-09-2010 11:17AM

I'll tell you what, do the intuition test:

Find a quiet room, close the door and chill for a short while, then say the following with conviction:

- I am going to <insert country name>

Take a few seconds to relax again, then say the following as if you had decided as such

- I am going to stay in Ireland

Now, how did you feel immediately after you said each statement? (let me know, I am curious)

This has worked for me many times, and I frequently regretted it when I didn't follow what my intuition said.

BluePlanet · 16-09-2010 12:04PM

mathie wrote: »

These two are a bad thing?!

1. Property is still way overpriced and needs to come down for people to be able to afford it.
2. We need to lower wages to become more competetive. Our minimum wages is 50% higher than the EU average.

I didn't express if i thought either of those were good or bad.

BTW your point number 1 is negated by your point number 2.
If property values fall along with wages then it still remains unaffordable.

Unless we can get property values to fall a lot more than peoples wages get lowered. But that kinda seems like wanting your cake and eating it too.

johnnyskeleton · 16-09-2010 05:00PM

BluePlanet wrote: »

- more taxes for less services
- more grumpy faces providing those services
- strikes
- more social problems as a result of a depressed economy/people
- cheaper property
- lower wages

I'm sure there are positives in there, if you look long and hard.
But the point is, you shouldn't have to.

Surely cheaper property is a positive?

BluePlanet · 16-09-2010 08:14PM

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Surely cheaper property is a positive?

Yeah,
But why are you presuming i think otherwise?
Did you not read my very next sentence?

fontanalis · 16-09-2010 08:44PM

Face it, if you stay you're going to pay for the mistakes of chancers who wouldn't succeed as business men anywhere else.

nadir · 17-09-2010 12:06AM

I think it makes much more sense to leave if you possibly can.

As far as I can see, many other developed countries have

1) Lower Tax.
2) Better (Cheaper/Free) Healthcare.
3) Better Job prospects.
4) Better Public Transport.
5) Better Economy& better future prospects.
6) Cheaper cost of living.

Come to think of it, what actually keeps people here (bar family)?

maninasia · 17-09-2010 04:47AM

Ireland has one of the lowest tax regimes and is on the high end of pay scales for developed countries. The problem in Ireland is that is hard to get a job (among other issues pointed out above).

doolox · 17-09-2010 08:11AM

Go.

You will make friends abroad so unless you are in the GAA or Irish Music or Irish language related hobby you will not lose by going.

Go.
As stated before all taxpayers here will be screwed for the mistakes of others for the next 10 years, get out while you can.

Go.
Climates elsewhere are better.

Go.
There is a higher regard for foreign obtained work experience among Irish Employers than for native obtained work experience, especially if you can throw in langauge related skills or work in the far east, China etc which are growing fast. If you are stuck in a rut in your present job then getting a job abroad with a better chance of a series of promotional steps looks better on your CV and will get you a better job if you decide to return to Ireland. Practically everybody I know on big money spent time abroad widening their skills and become more rounded so they could demand and get more money.

Unless you have family ties here ,I'd go.

ILA · 17-09-2010 08:20AM

Stay
You can get the dole if you become unemployed and still put yourself to good use by getting involved in community projects, clubs, politics, and maybe actually be part of the rebuilding. You could even re-enter education and reach the next level in time for when things start picking up.

Stay
I imagine your family and friends are here, you'll get homesick after a short while and most of the time that doesn't go away no matter how hard you try to forget about home.

doolox · 17-09-2010 10:11AM

If the OP is thinking about emigrating then chances are he is not happy in his current job and is probably in a rut.
Chances are very high that in Ireland for the next few years there will be very high underemployment and lots of idle time between assignments even for those in work.

Being a small, restricted and shrinking market in most things people working only in Ireland will have less experience than those working abroad.

All other things being equal because of the high unemployment people at a given level will be doing lower skilled and lower status work in Ireland whereas abroad they may have a better chance of getting a job appropriate to their education, skills and experience and will be able to get a higher level of training, education and development than waiting for something to happen at home.

For any opportunity here in Ireland there will be many more able skilled and educated people fighting for each and every opportunity for less money, less security and every likelihood of being pushed aside by hungrier and more desperate rivals.

They will have no choice if they have strong family ties here (children and family etc....not to mention unsellable property) but the OP has none of those ties.

kuntboy · 17-09-2010 10:16AM

maninasia wrote: »

Ireland has one of the lowest tax regimes

But high stealth taxes.

Brussels Sprout · 17-09-2010 11:42AM

doolox wrote: »

If the OP is thinking about emigrating then chances are he is not happy in his current job and is probably in a rut.
Chances are very high that in Ireland for the next few years there will be very high underemployment and lots of idle time between assignments even for those in work.

Being a small, restricted and.......

..........by hungrier and more desperate rivals.

They will have no choice if they have strong family ties here (children and family etc....not to mention unsellable property) but the OP has none of those ties.

Your ideas intrigue me and i wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

BluePlanet · 17-09-2010 01:00PM

Don't forget that it's not only money that matters.
40k is fairly meaningless if you're not happy.

Not everybody aspires to making as much money as possible.
Nor should they.

stay in ireland or migrate

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