The number of emigrants who want and plan to return is increasing, according to the Employment Service (UZT), which conducted a survey of 1060 Lithuanian citizens living abroad. According to the research, 55,1 percent would like to return to their homeland. of those interviewed - 14,6 percent. more than in the last survey in 2020
Most of them would be motivated by a good salary, they would expect to receive up to 2 thousand. euro salary.
"Departure and return are primarily motivated by the financial aspect, salary, this is the main motivating point. However, we can also encourage the return by the attractiveness of the social environment. Financial expectations changed very little. Those who want to return have increased by almost 15 percent. (…) The number of those who strictly state that they will not return is decreasing", Indrė Laučienė, the head of the International Cooperation Department of UŽT, told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
"Despite the fact that our citizens feel better abroad, (...) the group that wants to return to Lithuania has increased significantly," said the UŽT specialist.
According to her, these are usually people living in emigration for more than 10 years. According to the data of the Ministry of Education, 56,5 percent persons who have been in emigration for more than 10 years would like to live in their homeland again. in 2020 there were 30 percent of them.
"Lithuania as an economy is already becoming important for our compatriots living abroad," UŽT head Inga Balnanosienė emphasized to journalists.
Most of the respondents who want to return are currently working and living in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Norway, and mostly have specialties related to the manufacturing, industrial, construction and real estate sectors. A total of 60,3% would like to settle in Lithuania. specialists in these fields working in emigration.
"These are the sectors in which there is currently a shortage of labor in Lithuania," said I. Laučienė.
I. Laučienė emphasized that the desire to return is growing among emigrants of working age and many years of work experience. According to the survey, the share of citizens in the 36-45 age group who want to settle in Lithuania this year is up to 56,8 percent. in 2020 there were 32 percent of them.
"These are citizens of active and working age who could return here and successfully integrate into the labor market. Also, these are people who have gained experience abroad and have been living there for 10 or more years", said the specialist of UŽT.
The UŽT survey sought to find out what most motivates emigrants to plan their future life in Lithuania.
A good salary that would guarantee stability, family and friends (61,7%), the opportunity to do a job you like (53,4%), cultural and political changes in society (30,1, 25,6 percent).
"Respondents could choose more than one answer. The financial aspect is again the main one, but we can see that the factors of the social environment intervene here quite clearly, as well as the need for (…) career prospects and even cultural changes in society", commented I. Laučienė.
According to poll data, 39,2 percent respondents would be satisfied with a salary of 1201-2000 euros. 36,7 percent would return if he could earn 2001-3500 euros in Lithuania.
"This is a very interesting point because we asked the same thing in 2020. at the end (…) Expectations have not changed substantially in 2 years. Both then and now, the same wage rates are specified," said I. Laučienė.
UŽT director I. Balnanosienė said that Lithuania is becoming competitive with the old countries of the European Union due to the lack of specialists in the engineering industry, information technology (IT) and other sectors with high added value. Therefore, according to her, there is potential to bring back qualified Lithuanians who have left.
"An important aspect is whether they are paid equally or whether the competition is parallel. I have to say, this (salary - ELTA) gap is really narrowing. As of today, we can offer the same salaries to doctors, IT specialists, and engineers," I. Balnanosienė told journalists.
"We can bring citizens of third countries, but first of all, each state must think about its citizens living abroad, whom we can take back," she said.
UŽT conducted the investigation on May 16-31. 30 percent 13,5 percent of its respondents live in the United Kingdom. – in Ireland, 11,5 percent. – in Germany, that is, in the main countries of emigration and re-emigration of Lithuanians.
UŽT recommends giving priority to the Lithuanians residing in them when inviting them to return to Lithuania.
59,4 percent survey participants have lived abroad for more than 10 years, 73,8 percent. they are employed. 16% chose repeated emigration. respondents.
The main motive for both leaving and returning to Lithuania is the search for better financial opportunities (57,5%), the desire to earn money for a specific purpose (9,8%), family living abroad (8,8%), marriage with a foreigner (7 percent).
Also, 52,2 percent respondents said that they had no specific requirements for the workplace, they would be motivated by financial stability and a good salary. 19,1 percent would like to work in own business.
18,9 percent would like to work in production and industry, 13,6 percent each. – in the service and customer service and construction and real estate sectors.
Compared to 2020 survey, this year 11,2 percent. those not thinking about returning decreased (from 51,1 percent to 39,9 percent).
There is potential to attract emigrants to the regions
The UŽT survey also showed that Lithuanians living abroad plan to return not only to big cities but also to regions.
24,1% of emigrants would like to live in big cities, 23,7% in regions, the study showed.
Based on these statistics, UŽT states that returning emigrants could fill the missing jobs in the regions.
"The numbers are very similar, the difference is essentially negligible. This is great news for our regions and we can conclude that we could attract Lithuanians living abroad not only to big cities, but also to regions," said I. Laučienė.
"What we hear in practice, in rare cases, these would be the regions from which these people left," she commented.
In her turn, I. Balnanosiene emphasized that the attractiveness of the regions for settlers was revealed by the reception of war refugees from Ukraine.
"The differences between the regions in Lithuania are not great, and those who want to can certainly integrate in them. Here we have excellent practice with Ukrainian people who live in practically all municipalities. A socially favorable atmosphere is created there and, of course, there is a safe economic situation - safe in terms of job supply", said I. Balnanosienė.
According to her, it is important to secure places in kindergartens and schools for the children of returning citizens, as well as to prepare integrated educational programs for the children of emigrants who do not speak Lithuanian.
Lukas Juozapaitis (ELTA)
