Repatriating to Australia: The Survey
Many are wondering “Who, and How Many” Australians in New York are repatriating to Australia due to COVID-19.
So are we, which is why we have conducted the largest survey of Global Australians who are repatriating to Australia from New York. All surveys are completely private, and none of the data reveals the personal information of any individual member.
This is a follow-up to a smaller survey we completed in 2018, and part of a larger survey we completed over August and September 2020 to understand the needs of our members, peri and post COVID-19.
In total, 392 Australians were surveyed, and the data is below.
Repatriation by Industry:
The Data is consistent with our Database sample of 6,641 Australians where Marketing and Advertising represent 33% of members, with Banking, Financial Services, Law Practice, Information Technology Accounting, and Management Consulting representing more than 50% of our total membership combined.
On that basis, no particular industry stands out as being more disadvantaged due to recent layoffs due to COVID-19.
Repatriation by University:
Where an Australian studied for their Bachelor’s degree has a very high correlation to where they were raised in Australia. We, therefore, use this demographic in understanding an Australian’s State of Origin. The above data is again consistent with our overall member demographics.
Repatriation by Gender:
Women represent c.61% of our total membership. It would be expected that more women are repatriating than men. Interpreting the data is challenging as to why fewer women are repatriating and more men are compared to our overall demographics.
Repatriation by State:
NSW and Victoria are the two largest State of Origin for ex-pats arriving in New York. Only a few percentage points separate them. NSW is clearly the predominant State of Repatriation, with one member repatriating to Tasmania.
Interpreting this data is best done so in the context of the next data point.
Repatriation by Employment:
It is worth mentioning that the correlation between not finding full-time work and repatriating to your State of Origin is more than 95%. The vast majority of those who have found work, have done so in NSW.
Are there more jobs available in NSW than in Victoria? The data would certainly suggest that more members are currently finding full-time work in NSW than in Victoria.
Also remarkable is that c.15% of those who have found employment, have done so through a transfer back to Australia with their current employer.
Repatriation by Years in NYC
This data may surprise many who were expecting there to be a larger number of Australians who have spent less than two years in New York before heading home.
The reality is that many Australians join our organization after spending several years in New York. They join our organization to reconnect with other professional Australians.
Most new members have spent two to six years in NYC before joining our organization. This demographic is consistent with our overall membership demographic, based on a sample of 6,641 Australians.
Another remarkable point is that members who have spent more than eight years in New York have weathered the Financial Crisis of 2008, and many were in NYC during 9/11.
For them, the Pandemic is not as psychologically impactful, and they have children who have grown up in the U.S., and repatriation may not be an option.
Repatriation by Impact of COVID-19:
Sixty-two percent of members who have repatriated back to Australia indicated that COVID-19 had some impact on their decision. For many, their intention was always to repatriate, and COVID-19 simply had accelerated their timeline.
Repatriation by Percentage of Total Membership:
Given that 2020 is not over, the annual percentage has been estimated and noted with an asterisk. 2020 will be a year where nearly double the annual average of members have repatriated to Australia over last year. Further, the number is well above the five-year moving average.
Conclusion:
At the risk of a glaringly obvious statement, COVID-19 has accelerated many Australians’ plans for repatriating to Australia. The demographics have not changed, only the numbers have increased. This confirms what many anecdotally believe to be the case.
What is remarkable is that NSW is the most popular destination, regardless of an ex-pat’s State of Origin. The overwhelming majority of those who have returned to NSW have found employment, and many of them were born and raised in other states.
Further, around 15% of those Australians who have repatriated already have plans to return to New York. They see that sheltering in Australia and or telecommuting during the U.S. winter is only short-term.
Finally, sometimes surveys only serve to confirm what most believe anecdotally. It is, therefore, no surprise that more than 60% of those repatriating to Australia said that they would return to New York post-pandemic If the opportunity arose.
Click Here to read our article on Australian Repatriation During Covid-19
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