A study on obstacles to mobility experienced by job seekers in the European Union found that a high proportion of 34.8 per cent had returned to Malta because they missed their family and friends.

In his study, Marvin Cuschieri also found that 46.3 per cent mentioned work-related reasons, and 28.7 per cent had had their job terminated.

Mr Cuschieri also noted that 30 per cent of those interviewed were interested in working abroad, with the UK and Ireland being the preferred countries (49.3 per cent of those interested in working abroad).

The study was presented at a forum for employers and various social partners organised by the European Employment Service (EURES).

EURES is a network spread across 31 European countries which helps workers who want to find employment beyond their country. It also provides recruitment services for local employers who are finding it difficult to recruit staff in certain areas and who are therefore looking beyond the country’s shores. EURES in Malta is managed by the Employment and Training Corporation.

Mr Cuschieri’s research focused on obstacles faced by Maltese job seekers who want to work abroad, identifying respondents who are working abroad, the techniques used to look for jobs, and analysed the respondents’ awareness of EURES.

Among the factors that would encourage people to work abroad are i) better income (87 per cent), ii) improved work conditions (67.2 per cent), and iii) opportunity to meet new people (32 per cent). On the other hand, factors that would discourage people to work abroad are: i) loss of direct contact with family and friends (65.2 per cent), ii) loss of social networks (26.8 per cent), iii) finding a job (23.2 per cent), iv) adapting to a different culture (19.6 per cent) v) commuting (19 per cent) and vi) language barriers (17 per cent). Among the respondents, 35.6 per cent had worked abroad including Europe and Northern Africa. Some of the problems encountered by those who worked abroad were i) adapting to a different culture, ii) finding suitable housing and iii) lack of language skills.

When searching for a job, respondents made use of the ETC website, personal contacts, newspapers, recruitment agencies /websites, EURES website, foreign company website, ETC, EURES office at ETC and UK job websites.

Suzanne Gatt presented an evaluation study on EURES, from 2004 to 2007 from the perspectives of the main stakeholders – the European Union and its member states, employers and citizens.

This evaluation looked at i) implementation of the EURES activity plan 2004-7, ii) Quality and functioning of EURES, iii) The impact of EURES with the working populations, iv) The impact of EURES with employers and v) an analysis of secondary data.