Rural young ‘must leave to find work’

A third of young people living in rural areas fear they will have to leave the countryside to find jobs, says a report.


Research by rural insurer NFU Mutual suggests the countryside does not offer enough careers for school leavers and higher education graduates seeking employment in farms and rural businesses.


Entrepreneurial routes to success are also limited, with one in 10 under 35s saying they are unable to start their own business due to lack of finance.


Older generations agree, with three quarters (74%) of those aged over 45 saying that employment opportunities are rarer today than when they started work and that career progression is limited in their area (49%).


Richard Percy, chairman of NFU Mutual, said: “This study clearly highlights the urgent challenge faced by farms and rural businesses in the UK, where the lack of financially viable opportunities for young people is potentially threatening the long-term viability of the entire sector.


“With the cost of living relatively high in the countryside, finding employment opportunities which pay sufficiently well to attract young people into the industry, especially if they are not already within a family business, can be extremely difficult.


“No one is more important to us than farmers and the rural community, which is why we are committed to tackling this issue and providing a lasting legacy for the future of farming through schemes such as funding post- graduate places on agricultural study courses.”


The study also suggests that many young people starting careers in towns or cities return to the countryside later in life.


However, the report shows that confidence in the local rural economy is improving, with satisfaction scores rebounding by 5% over the last three months of 2012.


More than 1,500 people, including almost 200 aged 18 to 24, were polled for NFU Mutual’s Countryside Living Index, which tracks sentiment and quality of life in the countryside every quarter.


Satisfaction overall remained stable in the fourth quarter of 2012, but concern around levels of crime rose slightly.


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