Working abroad: have Lithuanians started to calculate and are no more satisfied with only a higher salary?

While Lithuanians used to look for work abroad, they are less likely to go there now. According to job search experts, there is now a lot of money to be earned in Lithuania, too, while living abroad is more expensive. Therefore, Lithuanians are more cautious about their chances of working abroad. In addition, many employers require English language skills and work experience, Vilija Mačiulskytė is writing at the tv3.lt news portal.

“Rita Karavaitienė, Marketing Manager at CV-online, noted that there is less interest in job offers abroad than before the pandemic.

“This is due to the wide choice of job offers in Lithuania and rising salaries.

Those considering a job abroad are much more careful about their earning potential, the nature of the job and the conditions. They calculate whether they will be able to earn enough money given the standard of living in foreign countries,” she commented.

The manager, who did not want to give the name of the recruitment company, also said that there is not much interest in jobs abroad at the moment:

“Most of the people looking for work are students. We have a lot of competitors at the moment. A lot of companies are looking for employees to work abroad, which is probably the reason why we don’t have a lot of candidates.”

At least a few criteria are accepted

The company manager said that jobs are available in Germany in packaging, sorting and assembly positions.

“The goods assembly job requires a minimum knowledge of English. The work is quite intensive, so it tends to be younger people. There are no further requirements because we don’t have much to choose from at the moment, so we hire people who meet at least a few criteria.

We have long-term contracts, so people go away for a few years,” said the company manager.

One of the drawbacks of the jobs on offer is that workers have to pay for their own travel and accommodation.

“This can also lead to less interest in job offers. And salaries range from €1,500 to €3,000 a hand,” the company’s spokeswoman said.

Job offers and salaries

R. Karavaitienė said that the main destinations are Germany and the Netherlands.

“There, we are looking for workers for construction, warehousing, agriculture, nursing staff and drivers. For example, nurses in Germany can earn between €1,800 and €2,200 on paper. This job requires experience in nursing and knowledge of German.

Meanwhile, CE drivers in Germany can earn between €3,300 and €3,700 on paper. The job requires basic English/German, a category CE driver’s licence, a digital driver card, and experience in international freight transport,” she said.

According to her, Lithuanians also go to work in Scandinavia. There, jobs are available in construction, agriculture and tourism (hotels). For example, electricians in Sweden are offered a salary of between EUR 2,800 and EUR 3,600 “on paper”, but with the possibility of tax refunds. The job requires experience in electrical engineering and knowledge of English.

“Tourism workers in Finland (waiters, bartenders, chefs) are paid between €12 and €16 per hour. Experience in a similar job and knowledge of English required. Forestry workers in Finland can earn between €3,300 and €5,000 “on paper”. Employers expect candidates to be honest, hard-working and persistent. Those with no experience are trained,” said Karavaitienė.

Job offers are also available in southern European countries, she said. The most sought-after jobs are in the tourism and service sectors.

“For example, in Mallorca, we need a hotel concierge with a salary of EUR 1,200 per hand. Good English language skills and at least a minimum of customer service experience are required,” said Karavaitienė.

Lithuanians no longer want hard jobs

“Dovilė Lapėnienė, Head of the Recruitment Department at HEADEX Group, predicted that the number of people going abroad to work in the summer period will definitely increase this year.

“The interest in working abroad is confirmed by the higher than usual number of enquiries and calls. In 2022, we will recruit 28.22% more workers in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium than in 2021. The growing interest in working abroad is also confirmed by the figures for 2023: 6.79% more people worked abroad in the first quarter than in the same period last year.

We note that not only students and graduates but also those who currently have a permanent job in Lithuania are actively interested in working abroad. For the latter, temporary work abroad is important for several reasons: to earn extra money and save up for shopping or to have financial resources for the upcoming cold season,” she commented.

In unskilled positions, she said, candidates are often attracted by higher pay and the desire to see another country and live abroad.

“Meanwhile, people in skilled positions are motivated to work abroad by the desire to improve their skills, to get to know the foreign labour market and to gain valuable work experience in a foreign country,” said Lapėnienė.

She mentioned that there is interest in working in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavian countries.

“Looking at candidates’ interest in different positions, we notice that more candidates prioritise lighter work and are not willing to do physically demanding jobs.

The most relevant positions are packaging and handling workers, where there are no high requirements in terms of work experience or education. Candidates are most interested in physically lighter jobs: in manufacturing companies, packaging positions, logistics companies, and assembly positions. For those interested in higher-skilled positions abroad, we can offer team leaders or specialist positions requiring certain skills and experience. Salaries range from EUR 1,400 to EUR 3,000 or more per hand,” said Ms Lapėnienė.

No shortage of applicants?

The head of the recruitment company Icm Solution said that more people are now looking for work abroad.

“There is more interest now, especially among students and schoolchildren who want to work abroad.

We offer jobs in Belgium and the Netherlands for warehouse assemblers. Employers require basic English. But the work is quite simple. All you need is the desire to do it,” said the company manager.

He pointed out that both arrival and accommodation costs are paid.

“And the salary starts at €2,000 per hand. Most of the time, people leave for longer periods, but there are some who work for a few months.

Nowadays, a lot of people are looking for seasonal work and work for a few months”, the company manager noted.