'Aware of their value' | UK risks losing Gen Z talent to higher-paying global competitors

Four in five (81%) Gen Z workers in the UK would consider working remotely for a company outside of the UK if that meant greater salary opportunities, according to new research commissioned by global HR and payroll firm Deel.

The research, which also shows that over half (51%) of full-time Gen Z employees in the UK will prioritise fully-remote arrangements when looking for their next role, suggests UK businesses are at risk of losing Gen Z talent to international competitors. In fact, nearly two-thirds (64%) of Gen Z-ers in full time work admit to being likely to prioritise pay over proximity to HQ when looking for their next job role.

This comes as new platform data from Deel reveals that wage growth for UK Gen-Zers is lagging behind other markets.

In 2024, globally, Gen Z workers received the biggest salary increases (9%), outpacing Millennial (7%) and Gen X (5%) peers as employers increasingly recognised how their digital skills and comfort within distributed teams could create value.