Aberdeen exodus as two-thirds of next generation consider leaving city within five years

Fears over the future of oil and gas would persuade six-in-ten of Aberdeen’s next generation workforce to consider leaving the city, according to the latest Northern Lights survey by PwC Scotland.

Carried out before the European Referendum, the survey of 541 Aberdeen residents shows young professionals are invested in the city and want to stay - if the opportunities are there for them.

Given concerns over the state of the oil and gas sector, the findings reinforce the momentum to reenergise the sector and the region. This includes initiatives by organisations such as Opportunity North East (ONE), who have repeatedly stressed the importance of investment in industries beyond oil and gas, such as life sciences and tourism.

Aberdeen lead director for People and Organisation at PwC in Scotland, Erika Campbell, said: “The next generation of the region’s workforce – the people thinking about settling down, having families and making roots – are voicing their concerns with Aberdeen and the local economy.

“What our survey has revealed is that this is a generation who were attracted to Aberdeen for all the right reasons – a sense of community, location and the city being perceived as a place for young professionals – but they now worry if they have a future here or if they’ll send their children to school and university in the city.

“A positive note to take from this though is that people are coming forward with suggestions for improvements around the city – for example, better transport, a renewed city centre and more cultural events – which shows that they care about the city. They want to have reasons to stay.

“Although this is just one data point in a larger ongoing conversation about the future of Aberdeen, the survey has clearly identified both what the next generation of Aberdeen like about the region, and what developments have to take place to deliver positive change. Now is the time to act, and all of us, as the people of Aberdeen have to do our bit.”

Survey findings:

When asked what attracted them to Aberdeen, the top three answers were:

When asked about future career plans, the response was:

When asked if there was anything Aberdeen could improve upon to incentivise people to stay or attract more people, the top responses included:

One person who has stayed in Aberdeen because of the people is PwC’s Corporate Finance Senior Associate Michelle Noble, who said: “I moved to Aberdeen from Edinburgh as a student with the intention of leaving after I graduated university. Eight years later and I am still here as a young professional, living and working in the City. I have considered leaving in the past, but it is my career, the people I have met and subsequent friendships made that have caused me to stay.”

PwC in Aberdeen recently reaffirmed its commitment to the city by becoming the first firm to secure tenancy in the revamped The Capitol building on Union Street. PwC has taken over the full top floor and aims to be operational on the premises by December 2016.

One member of the PwC team looking forward to the move is Senior Associate Imogen Clark, who said: “I moved to Aberdeen for work four years ago and while I had a really great time, I did consider leaving for a larger city. It wasn’t that I had gone off Aberdeen for any specific reason or the city had done anything ‘wrong’ so to speak. It was just that, for young people, other cities in the UK seemingly have more to offer in terms of a vibrant, active social scene.

“But when I looked at the other options in terms of work and what I would be able to do, I made a decision to stay here as the current nature of our work is incredibly interesting and specialised. I enjoy what I’m doing with my colleagues and friends.”

Fellow PwC Senior Associate Charlie Lim added: “Having initially been drawn to Aberdeen by the university, I have now lived here for over 7 years. I have considered moving elsewhere in the UK or abroad in search of a new challenge, however to date it has been a combination of the accessibility to the countryside in addition to the sense of community within the city which has kept me.”