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,” Aksu said, adding that U.S. workers “need more than just high salaries.”

Why are people leaving?

In 2025, roughly 2,000 to 2,500 U.S.-based workers left the country each month to take jobs abroad, according to Aksu. Workers are primarily moving to Europe — France is a top destination — as well as to the United Kingdom.

To be sure, a large part of this wave of outmigration is being driven by foreign-born workers leaving the U.S. Revelio’s data shows that as of December 2025, 30% of foreign-born job switchers left the U.S, compared to less than 1% of U.S.-born switchers. 

Still, the data reveals a shift in labor patterns, in which workers are less bound by location than they were before the pandemic.

Remote work opportunities are one of the biggest factors driving U.S.-based employees to move abroad, according to Revelio. Although many employees became accustomed to flexible schedules during the pandemic, numerous American companies have since issued return-to-office mandates.

“If another employer abroad offers hybrid work, better hours and a comparable role, that becomes a very real alternative,” Aksu said.

Living where money goes further also appeals to U.S. workers. Many Americans feel financially squeezed — over half say their finances are worsening, according to a recent Gallup poll, the highest since 2001.

“It’s more about what people get for the cost,” Aksu told CBS News. “Better public services, health care, transportation, childcare and stronger work-life balance can make the overall package feel more attractive, even if nominal pay is lower.”