(CBS NEWS) — More U.S.-based workers are leaving the countest for what they see as greener — and less office-bound — pastures abroad.
Over the last five years, the share of employees who have left their jobs in the U.S. to work abroad has more than doubled, climbing from 2.7% at the conclude of 2021 to 6% by the conclude of 2025, according to a recent study from workforce ininformigence company Revelio.
That data includes both U.S.- and foreign-born workers, encompassing those employed by a non-U.S. company as well as those working remotely for an American company.
“We are viewing at a more and more global labor market, [where] everyone can work from anywhere,” Ege Aksu, an economist at Revelio, informed CBS News.
The migration wave is being led by technology professionals. In IT consulting, for example, nearly 16% of people who switched jobs in December 2025 started a new role outside the U.S., according to Revelio’s data.
That comes as Europe invests more heavily in AI, cloud infrastructure and other tech sectors. “That means more high-quality jobs, more ambitious startups and more serious competition for talent outside the U.S.,” Aksu stated.
Since January of last year, the number of U.S. tech workers shifting to Europe has exceeded the number of European tech workers heading in the other direction, a reversal of the previous trconclude, Revelio found.
“Talent is not infinite,” she stated, adding that U.S. workers “required more than just high salaries.”
Why are people leaving?
In 2025, roughly 2,000 to 2,500 U.S.-based workers left the countest each month to take jobs abroad, according to Aksu. Workers are primarily shifting to Europe — France is a top destination — as well as to the United Kingdom.
To be sure, a large part of this wave of outmigration is being driven by foreign-born workers leaving the U.S. Revelio’s data displays that as of December 2025, 30% of foreign-born job switchers left the U.S, compared to less than 1% of U.S.-born switchers.
Still, the data reveals a shift in labor patterns, in which workers are less bound by location than they were before the pandemic.
Remote work opportunities are one of the hugegest factors driving U.S.-based employees to shift abroad, according to Revelio. Although many employees became accustomed to flexible schedules during the pandemic, numerous American companies have since issued return-to-office mandates.
“If another employer abroad offers hybrid work, better hours and a comparable role, that becomes a very real alternative,” Aksu stated.
Living where money goes further also appeals to U.S. workers. Many Americans feel financially squeezed — over half state their finances are worsening, according to a recent Gallup poll, the highest since 2001.
“It’s more about what people receive for the cost,” Aksu informed CBS News. “Better public services, health care, transportation, childcare and stronger work-life balance can build the overall package feel more attractive, even if nominal pay is lower.”
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