Job Offer in Jersey? Anyone made the Move? Can I make it work financially?

Adamc

Hi all 

I currently work in the NHS and my salary is around 50K gross as is my wife's. My wife and I have been offered a job in Jersey for 60K per year. 

I wondered if the increase in salary would likely be sufficient to live a comfortable life? I am aware we would not be able to buy a property for a long time so that is a major drawback. What other factors need to be considered? We also love to travel so the logistics would likely be more difficult on the island. 

Cheers

elsien

Starting point for you.
https://www.gov.je/LifeEvents/MovingToJersey/LivingInJersey/pages/costliving.aspx

Marcon

Adamc said:

Hi all 

I currently work in the NHS and my salary is around 50K gross as is my wife's. My wife and I have been offered a job in Jersey for 60K per year. 

I wondered if the increase in salary would likely be sufficient to live a comfortable life? I am aware we would not be able to buy a property for a long time so that is a major drawback. What other factors need to be considered? We also love to travel so the logistics would likely be more difficult on the island. 

Cheers

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

Adamc

Marcon said:

Adamc said:

Hi all 

I currently work in the NHS and my salary is around 50K gross as is my wife's. My wife and I have been offered a job in Jersey for 60K per year. 

I wondered if the increase in salary would likely be sufficient to live a comfortable life? I am aware we would not be able to buy a property for a long time so that is a major drawback. What other factors need to be considered? We also love to travel so the logistics would likely be more difficult on the island. 

Cheers

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

I agree - unless there's a generous relocation package and scope to increase earning dramatically then it just isn't viable. 

MarthaKL

My partner and I worked in Jersey for a few years recently, but we always knew it wasn’t going to be a permanent move. It was more of a pre-retirement adventure. I don’t know if you will be given any housing support, but otherwise even if your new job allows you to rent “qualified” properties you could easily be looking at £2k - £3k per month for an unfurnished flat.  Prices everywhere are high, as GST is charged on pretty much everything, including food.  Travel off the island is sometimes subject to ferry delays and cancellations, and I’ve spent many hours in the airport waiting for the fog to lift before planes could leave or land. If you are expecting to make an onward flight from the mainland, this can be a real issue. 

Saying that, it is a beautiful (but small) island with great beaches, pretty countryside and great places to eat. It is close to France for sightseeing and shopping trips.  You can buy freshly dug Jersey Royal potatoes and locally grown fruit and vegetables from roadside honesty boxes or from the indoor market in St Helier, and if you like coastal walks this could be the place for you.

Malthusian

Marcon said:

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

Doesn't that depend on where the OP is now? If they live in London would the gap in cost of living be narrower, or is that 20%+ higher cost of living compared to London already?
I agree that it doesn't sound suitable for the OP unless they really love the idea of living on the island. For someone whose priority is ease of getting away (to travel) it sounds completely wrong.

Adamc

MarthaKL said:

My partner and I worked in Jersey for a few years recently, but we always knew it wasn’t going to be a permanent move. It was more of a pre-retirement adventure. I don’t know if you will be given any housing support, but otherwise even if your new job allows you to rent “qualified” properties you could easily be looking at £2k - £3k per month for an unfurnished flat.  Prices everywhere are high, as GST is charged on pretty much everything, including food.  Travel off the island is sometimes subject to ferry delays and cancellations, and I’ve spent many hours in the airport waiting for the fog to lift before planes could leave or land. If you are expecting to make an onward flight from the mainland, this can be a real issue. 

Saying that, it is a beautiful (but small) island with great beaches, pretty countryside and great places to eat. It is close to France for sightseeing and shopping trips.  You can buy freshly dug Jersey Royal potatoes and locally grown fruit and vegetables from roadside honesty boxes or from the indoor market in St Helier, and if you like coastal walks this could be the place for you.

I've just been told there is a relocation package with subsidised accommodation costs for 6 months. Need to find out a little more. 

Adamc

Malthusian said:

Marcon said:

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

Doesn't that depend on where the OP is now? If they live in London would the gap in cost of living be narrower, or is that 20%+ higher cost of living compared to London already?
I agree that it doesn't sound suitable for the OP unless they really love the idea of living on the island. For someone whose priority is ease of getting away (to travel) it sounds completely wrong.

Yes it does sound like we might feel a little stuck in some instances when we want to get away somewhere.  

It sounds like the hospital are having real problems retaining employees. I think it needs a bit more thought on the government's behalf. Their current trainee is leaving for New Zealand upon qualifying. 

Marcon

Malthusian said:

Marcon said:

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

Doesn't that depend on where the OP is now? If they live in London would the gap in cost of living be narrower, or is that 20%+ higher cost of living compared to London already?
I agree that it doesn't sound suitable for the OP unless they really love the idea of living on the island. For someone whose priority is ease of getting away (to travel) it sounds completely wrong.

Jersey is much more expensive than London in so many respects, so if OP lives anywhere else in the UK which is 'cheaper' than London, the differential will bite even harder.

Adamc

Marcon said:

Malthusian said:

Marcon said:

Not just property...all the other increased costs. A 20% increase in salaries won't come near making up the difference, so much depends on your definition of a comfortable life - and whether you see yourselves settling there long term.

Doesn't that depend on where the OP is now? If they live in London would the gap in cost of living be narrower, or is that 20%+ higher cost of living compared to London already?
I agree that it doesn't sound suitable for the OP unless they really love the idea of living on the island. For someone whose priority is ease of getting away (to travel) it sounds completely wrong.

Jersey is much more expensive than London in so many respects, so if OP lives anywhere else in the UK which is 'cheaper' than London, the differential will bite even harder.

Midlands. So relatively low living costs compared to areas such as London, Oxford, Surrey, Reading etc. 

Malthusian

Adamc said:

It sounds like the hospital are having real problems retaining employees. I think it needs a bit more thought on the government's behalf. Their current trainee is leaving for New Zealand upon qualifying. 

I wonder how many of their employees move to Jersey thinking that £10,000 a year extra sounds like a brilliant deal, and then swiftly try to find a way off the island once they realise that it doesn't even cover the extra cost of living, let alone the additional cost of going on holiday or visiting the mainland.
Doesn't even boost your NHS pension much these days due to the change from final salary to career average.