[xadoc]

I believe the reason why Portuguese developers are not flooding UK (I don't completely agree, I see them coming more and more but slowly) is that any reasonably good developer in Portugal still can find work in consulting and state related IT firms. They work long hours and earn low, but enough to live comfortably there.

[iaskwhy]

And by "earn low but enough to live comfortably there" you mean around 1000 eur/m, a little bit more but not that much if you are lucky. I wouldn't call it living comfortably if you're not living with your parents.

[pjmlp]

Another one is that people are too attached to stay in Portugal as well.

I am living abroad since 2003 (FR, CH, D), and still meet people that moved back, even with the crisis, or tell me that they can't imagine themselves living abroad.

[freyfogle]

But won't that opportunity be there after they spend 2-3 fun years in London?

[xadoc]

That is my point exactly to them, but it seems tougher to leave family and friends when you live comfortably and still save some cash.

Here is a sample of excuses my Portuguese friends (SW Engineer related) gave me to not even consider job opportunities in London:

- can't leave my family now, I have a girlfriend and don't want to leave her

- my English is not good enough

- I don't like the weather there (sounds stupid, but I hear this one a lot)

Also right now in Portugal there is bullshit talk from employers that younger people should stay and help revamp the economy (by working extra hours for free) and the situation is so bad that in some areas like Design/Architecture people do internships for free and the interns keep being replaced with new ones after 3 months or so.

[namdnay]

Why do you consider the climate to be a stupid reason? If your mood is, like many people, closely linked to the weather, if you love the sun, the sea and all the outdoor activities they bring, why wouldn't you stay? I can perfectly understand someone who chooses a less fulfilling professional life in order to see the sun every day. In fact many companies in the nicer parts of the world actively use the surrounding climate and geography as a recruitment argument.

[pjmlp]

Yep, those excuses seem familiar.