More Americans are quitting their U.S. jobs to work abroad, study finds

MoneyWatch More Americans are quitting their U.S. jobs to work abroad, study finds .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-moneywatch.jpg'); } By Mary Cunningham Mary Cunningham Reporter, MoneyWatch Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. She previously worked at "60 Minutes," CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program. Read Full Bio Mary Cunningham Updated on: May 1, 2026 / 10:51 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google More U.S.-based workers are leaving the country for what they see as greener — and less office-bound — pastures abroad.Over the last five years, the share of employees who have left their jobs in the U.S. to work abroad has more than doubled, climbing from 2.7% at the end of 2021 to 6% by the end of 2025, according to a recent study from workforce intelligence company Revelio.That data includes both U.S.- and foreign-born workers, encompassing those employed by a non-U.S. company as well as those working remotely for an American company."We are looking at a more and more global labor market, [where] everyone can work from anywhere," Ege Aksu, an economist at Revelio, told CBS News. The migration wave is being led by technology professionals. In IT consulting, for example, nearly 16% of people who switched jobs in December 2025 started a new role outside the U.S., according to Revelio's data. That comes as Europe invests more heavily in AI, cloud infrastructure and other tech sectors. "That means more high-quality jobs, more ambitious startups and more serious competition for talent outside the U.S.," Aksu said.Since January of last year, the number of U.S. tech workers moving to Europe has exceeded the number of European tech workers heading in the other direction, a reversal of the previous trend, Revelio found.  "Talent is not infinite," she said, adding that U.S. workers "need more than just high salaries."Why are people leaving?In 2025...