JERSEY is the worst destination in the world for expatriate workers, according to an HSBC survey.
The bank, which employs hundreds of staff in the Island, has placed Jersey at the bottom of 15 countries as a destination for expatriates.
Of all the countries across four continents, Jersey ranked as the worst place for workers to go in search of a better life overseas — mostly because of poor accommodation and lack of quality services and things to do.
The Expat Explorer Survey was primarily aimed at finance industry workers and was commissioned by HSBC International Ltd — which, ironically, has its head offices here in Jersey. Singapore (pictured), the United Arab Emirates and the United States topped the table.
Article posted on 25th July, 2008 - 2.59pm
16 Article Comments
I can’t really agree with this. Having lived in several offshore places, Jersey was by far the nicest. Maybe the survey was taken during the winter months.
No suprise here then, and it specifically refers to finance industry workers, gee and we ordinary working folk think they have a great standard of living. I guess if they rated the immigrant manual workers it would not be far short of third world standards.
The oligarchy (love that word, thank you Stuart) should sit up and take note, its just one of many things that they are screwing up, I bet the survey was done way before G.S.T.
If the finance industry runs short of candidates willing to relocate to Jersey, due to our shortcomings then perhaps they should look at putting more into the retraining of local people to carry out the work needed.
It beggars belief to see graduates who are NOT from Jersey being employed to do work that local, mature candidates or local graduates could and would do but time and again they are marginalised and are not given the opportunities afforded to graduates who are not even from Jersey.
No surprises then,Jersey could also be the worst place in the world to do a weekly shop for a family without paying way over the top prices.
Why does it take years before anything changes and even then sometimes nothing changes???
who cares? let them all leave its ruining the place anyway, take their banks with them.
I guess this survey tells as much about the people surveyed as it does about the island. As the young child of an expat, living in Jersey for 6 years some 30 years ago even (even less services and things to do), it was the most wonderful place to be as a family. Having travelled the world for business as an adult, and lived in various large international cities, I can only imagine that if what you are looking for is fun as a single yuppie or selfish parent, UAE would be a million times better. I no longer live in Jersey, but as the father of two young children I know where I would rather live, and where they would rather live.
Not surprised at all I have been saying this for years much to the consternation of J ppl. I have been here over five years and stay basically because I have an easy life but this is THE most overrated place. The housing situation is appalling with workers coming to the Island ghettoised as second class citizens save for the few who get a J cat. Large parts of the town are just plain ugly. There are few attractive women a result I suspect of most of the local girls getting out to Uni or to see a bit of the world. To most incomers outside of hospitality the appeal is that it might be a better place to bring up your family / start a family i.e. settled couples rather than single people. The average house price is about 1/3rd higher than in London according to the Times yesterday and is at a multiple of 11 or so salary and visually at least a lot of the housing even at that price is totally grim. The weather is marginally better than South England - big deal !
Why worry about the Expats - oh sorry I forgot LOCAL people are an embarrassment to the States.
Cover story of JEP 27/07/08. Local ”graduates” cannot count to 10 and cannot spell their own names. Lack of basic skills coupled with unbelieveable attitude and expectactions of 20k starting salary is the reason why employers prefer to import intelligent workers. Little darlings should pay more attention in school instead of causing mayhem on the streets. It is the local thinking which stops better thing to happen here.
Lived in this island for 2 years relocated from Dubai and begged my employee to move me back ,i could no longer “live” if you want to call that in this island 2 years was way too long .
Awful weather,weekends with kids drunk in town and i do MEAN kids,nothing to do,no parks,parents in pubs with their kids at 11 am on a sunday morning having sunday lunch ,housing qualifications in place ,and even if you buy your own house you still need a license to do a garden,extend it ,whatever,and the local states glorify they have rich folks living in Jersey to make it appealing ..what a joke ,they have a house here for tax purposes but they live in other countries ALL jersey knows this ,the whole place seriously sucks ,sooo glad i left this circus
We’re worst in the world for choosing our politicians too!
Dont agree with all Jared said but he does have a point, I lived on Jersey for 18 years and the biggest thing I got when I complained about the place was “There’s a boat leaving in the morning” Racism raised its ugly head, as a friend said when I was leaving ” It’s been good to you” my reply i put a lot in , through building , investing etc
All that said still miss it a little.
Adelaide Australia , welcomes you better .
I moved back to the island after six years away. I said to an acquaintance I was staying with that Jersey seemed to have become “rougher” in that period. I then got the usual diatribe about how Jersey was much nicer than the smart bit of west London I came from . The next day we got a letter from the managing agent of his flat warning us to look out for all the used hypodermic needles being left by the development!
I think like everywhere there is good and bad.
I think Jersey has a very congested and party like town center which has lost all of its character and has some problems that have to be address.
Zero tolerance is the way forward for unacceptable drunken behavior and people need to start understanding that and the police need help enforcing this
I also think that if you take the time and get involved whether its just going for a hike or walk that you would be hard pressed to find such a beautiful place to live or bring up children in.
Of course the Island has problems.
I currently live in the USA, most days are sunny, I can drive my children to multiple activity centers with things to do for a few dollars, I have a big house and car and can buy ridiculous amounts of cheap designer clothing and also today 8 miles from my home 3 people got shot. So weighing it all up I’ll take the few rowdy drunks on their way home from the pub any day and live in the small house and be part of all the good things Jersey has to offer like any where else.
We have to address the unacceptable behavior and get back to the community that Jersey was when I grew up there.
Two points:
- we should be proud that Jersey even makes the list, plenty of our competitors don’t even get a mention. That HSBC International has its HQ here, perhaps it tweaked the results slightly to avoid accusations of bias!!!
- the grass is always greener, live anywhere long enough and you’ll find plenty to moan about - reading the comments, do these people think that everywhere else is a drunk-free oasis, where the sun shines everyday and everyone smiles… yeah right, maybe in a Dubai government advert, but not in the real world.
Wake up. Cheer up. Jersey’s a great place, we should use this rogue poll as an opportunity to show the world that we are a fantastic location.
mmmm, and I thought only the colonial bearer of your name New Jersey on the western side of the Atlantic was corrupt, run by an oligarchy, with housing prices out of site, taxes extremely high, no jobs, and crime running rampant?