Since Brexit, it’s increasingly complicated for EU Nannies to find work, especially if they are looking for well-paid work opportunities.
There are more and more candidates on the market but not more and more positions to fill for these nannies.
Before Brexit, if you held an EU passport and were looking for a well-paid nanny job, you only needed to be bilingual (EU mother tongue and fluent English) and willing to move or travel to London or the UK, and you could find opportunities relatively easily.
Now, if you hold an EU passport, you need a visa to work in the UK. It is difficult to meet the conditions to apply for a visa and it is extremely rare for families to want to sponsor a visa anyway.
Since Brexit, if you hold a European passport, the only options you have to find a high paying nanny job are jobs in Europe or the Middle East.
But here’s the problem, most jobs are in the UK or US. There are very few positions in Europe and a lot of positions in Europe are for native English speakers.
Most families in Europe are looking for English speakers and of course they don’t want their children to learn English with a foreign accent. They want their children to learn to speak with a perfect British accent, so the EU candidates don’t do the trick.
To increase your chances of finding a position that will allow you to put money aside quickly, you should be open to positions in the Middle East.
But few nannies are willing to work there because the conditions are harsh and not really attractive.
What also makes things more complicated for EU Nannies is that their wages have fallen significantly for them since Brexit.
There are few agencies in Europe, and most agencies that are able to help EU Nannies are based in the UK.
UK agencies always negotiate salaries in British pounds, regardless of whether the role is based in the UK or not, and whether the employee pays their bills and taxes in pounds sterling or another currency. They need their commission to be paid in pounds sterling, so they impose negotiations in British pounds so as not to lose out on the exchange.
Before Brexit when a UK agency negotiated a salary of £1000 per week for an EU candidate, the candidate actually received 1600-1800 euros in their European bank account.
Since Brexit, when a British agency negotiates a salary of £1,000 per week for an EU candidate, the candidate receives 1,100 to 1,200 euros in their European bank account.
Before Brexit, when an EU candidate asked for the equivalent of £1000 in euros per week, they obtained 1600-1800 euros without problem. Now, if the EU candidate asks for 1600-1800 euros per week, and if they explain that these rates date from before Brexit and did not pose a problem at the time, they are told they do not know market rates or how to price their services…
So basically, if they want to have any chance of finding a job, they must accept salaries in pounds sterling even if they don’t pay their bills and taxes in pounds sterling, and above all they must accept much lower salaries without flinching.
When looking to place EU candidates, UK agencies do not try to explain this logic to their clients, and it is very difficult for candidates to have salaries that match their expectations.
If UK agencies did not systematically negotiate all salaries in pounds sterling, EU candidates would not have to lower their salary expectations, as before Brexit.
So it’s a real struggle for EU nannies to find a high-paying job, or even a job at all. Families who could use bilingual nannies from Europe are in the UK or US, but a visa is required for EU Nannies and visas are never sponsored.
Being bilingual and willing to travel or relocate for work, is no longer enough to help you find well-paid opportunities
It is highly difficult, if not almost impossible to find high-paying opportunities for EU Nannies.
To have a chance of finding a competitive position, you must either be based in a large city that attracts wealthy people and where the cost of living is high (Monaco, Paris, Geneva, Munich for example) because there are often well-paid positions without accommodation in these cities, or you must have a dual nationality (UK or USA) or be authorized to work in the UK (UK passport, Settled or Pre-Settled Status) or in the United States (US passport or Green Card) to have access to a greater number of opportunities.
So many EU candidates have been looking for months, or even more than 1 or 2 years. They can’t find anything because they absolutely want a job that pays more than the average but they don’t understand that there isn’t as much demand for their profile since Brexit.
Many candidates are so desperate and need a job so badly that they try to apply even though they know they are not the right fit to try to increase their chances of finding a job. They don’t realize it, but in fact, they further reduce their chances of getting a job because they end up being seen as unprofessional or stalkers and are blacklisted.
The truth is that many European nannies currently on the market may never find a nanny job, at least not the type of high-paying job they are aiming for.
If they have been unemployed for a long time and if they no longer know what to do to get a job, EU Nannies may need to consider other options :
They can move at their own expense to a large European city where there is demand and where salaries are higher (Paris, Monaco, Geneva, Munich), but it will cost them a lot of money, and the result is not guaranteed, it is a big risk that it is better not to take.
They can also look for work locally. They may not have a salary above market prices, but at least they will have a job…
If they have an area of expertise and a good professional network, they can create their website and start their own business.
They must also consider changing careers. Depending on their qualifications, they may have other options (for example working in a nursery etc.)
Otherwise, if they don’t want to give up nannying, we must hope that one day Brexit is reversed and the UK rejoins the EU, then there would again be many opportunities for EU Nannies!