An increasing number of Lithuanian citizens living abroad are considering going back, according to a recent survey conducted by the state-run Employment Service (Užimtumo Tarnyba).
The online survey was conducted in May, polling 1,060 citizens living abroad. The largest share of respondents lives in the United Kingdom (30%), Ireland (13.5%), and Germany (11.5%).
According to the survey, 55.1% of respondents would like to return to Lithuania. Compared to 2020, the number has increased by 14.6 percentage points.
"We have noticed an interesting trend compared to the last survey at the end of 2020 – although our compatriots feel good abroad, [...] the share of those who would like to return to Lithuania has increased significantly," Indrė Laučienė from Employment Service told a press conference when presenting the results.
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"The majority of those who have indicated that they want to return are skilled employees who work in the manufacturing, industrial, construction and real estate sectors. This is relevant because these are the sectors where there is a shortage of workforce in Lithuania today," she added.
According to Laučienė, 60.3% of respondents working in these sectors indicated that they would like to return to Lithuania.
The majority of respondents (39.2%) would expect to receive a monthly salary of between 1,200 and 2,000 euros after tax, while 36.7% said they would like to receive between 2,000 and 3,500 euros.
"We often hear opinions that many people returning from abroad expect inadequate wages or have very high demands on their workplace and employer. This myth has been dispelled by our survey," said Laučienė.
The survey showed that almost 20% of respondents would like to create their own business in the country. The biggest increase of people wanting to return to Lithuania was in the 35-45 age group.
Some 57.5%of respondents said a better-paid job was their main reason for going abroad, while 8.8% said they left Lithuania because of family members living abroad and 7% due to marriage.
The majority of respondents, 61.7%, said a good salary guaranteeing a stable income would be the reason for returning to Lithuania. Meanwhile, 53.4% of respondents said family, friends, and relatives would be a motivation to come back.
Some 30.1% indicated that they would be encouraged to return due to an interesting job, and 25.6% would be motivated by the cultural and political changes in society.
"The financial aspect is the main and number one answer, but social factors, the opportunity to work in a job you like, and even cultural changes in society are also quite clearly involved," said Laučienė.
According to the survey data, Lithuanians living abroad would return not only to big cities (24.1%) but also to the countryside (23.7%).
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"This is a message to the regions and it can be concluded that Lithuanians living abroad can be attracted not only to the big cities," she said, adding that people chose regions based on where they were born.
According to Laučienė, less than 1% said that nothing could encourage them to return.
The survey was conducted online in May 2023. The largest share of respondents was aged 35 and above, with the majority having lived abroad for more than 10 years (59.4%).
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