Generation E(xpat)? More Gen Z, Millennials Moving Abroad

In a recent survey of over 1,000 Gen Z and millennial workers, 25% said they were actively planning on leaving the United States to live abroad within the next five years, according to hiring company Howdy.

The findings also reported that 87% were planning on becoming digital nomads—people who work remotely while traveling. Of those, 53% were planning on finding a job that supported the lifestyle, and 34% already had one.

The top five reasons for leaving the United States included:

1. Looking for a change of scene (67%)
2. Enjoy traveling (65%)
3. Cost of living in the U.S. (51%)
4. The U.S. economy (36%)
5. U.S. politics (34%)

Where are they moving? The survey said:

1. Europe (40%)
2. East Asia (13%)
3. Traveling to many regions (11%)
4. Latin America (9%)
5. Canada (8%)

A third of respondents reported having lived outside of the country before, and 39% said they felt trapped in the United States. Sixty-nine percent believed other countries have a better quality of life.

However, moving abroad raises its own obstacles. One in three Gen Z and millennials said they wanted to leave the States but weren’t planning on doing so due to financial (77%), family (65%) and work (44%) barriers.