Is job life better in the US than UK?

Question

I am thinking about moving to the US from the UK because the pressure here seems too much for me. I'd like to know if America is anything like what we see in the movies - nice houses, huge cars, good jobs, always sunny, better opportunities etc. Is the work/life balance in the US better than the UK and is life more comfy there.

Is the gun culture there a fact or fiction? How should I prepare if I want to move to the US? As the US is a very large place, are there place to avoid and places to be?

Thank you

Answer 1

The grass is not always greener on the other side. The job market is tough all over. Gas prices,housing , utility bills are on the rise, but paychecks are not. What you see on TV does not depict all of America. We have our slums, poverty, homeless, violence etc. Not really much different that Britain. Health care is a major problem in the US, millions do not have it and if you are not provided it by your employer, a good health care plan will eat up half of your paycheck. I would suggest not making a permanent move. Get some money together, find yourself a studio apartment or room to rent, find a job, maybe not the one you really want, just take what you can get until you find the one you want. Also, you would have to stay away from smaller rural towns as many do not have public transportation. There are no tubes or buses in many places and some smaller towns have only 1 or 2 taxi's. You could move to a warm climate like Florida or Texas and find a job close to wear you live so you could ride a bike or small scooter. Give it a good year to see if you are going to be able to make it, if not you know you gave it your best shot and you can move back home.

PS also one trip to the doctor or dentist will cost you an entire paycheck or more and if you prescription medication--ha---it has come down to a choice here in a lot of cases, and that choice is food or medicine. I would like to move to England, I would be willing to pay that vat tax that you have in order to get healthcare. Also, the middle class seems to be disappearing, you either have it or you don't. So , i guess i would kind of push you to stay in England, enjoy your heritage and all the traditions that England has and the healthcare!

Answer 2

I am American and have lived in different areas of the US. I have also visited the UK quite a bit. The main difference I see between the US and UK is the economic systems. The US is not as socialistic as the UK. It is a very capitalistic country and you can either prosper or wither here depending on your work ethic, decisions, and luck. The safety features that the UK offers such as free healthcare do not exist here but if you have a job that gives you good private health insurance, it will not be a problem.
Our capitalistic society also has more crime because the underclass is more desperate to survive. There is a big disparity between the rich/middle-class and the poor here. The poor do not have the assistance and social programs like they have in the UK. The poor fend for themselves here which means crime, violence, drug dealing, and shooting. But this mostly happens in economically deprived areas and if you don't live in or near one of these areas, you probably won't be exposed to it.
If you are a professional and can get a full-time job with a salary and benefits, life may be easier and more complicated. The good news is that our income taxes are low compared to the UK and you will get to keep a lot of your money. The bad news is you will work a lot. Vacations here are 10 - 14 days per year and about 5 sick days. Most people who work for corporations work longer than 8 hour days.
As for cultural regions I have found, through my moving around the US so much, that people on the East Coast are more grounded, polite, and formal than people on the West Coast. The West Coasters are more flighty, edgier, and live life in the fast lane. The Southern US is slow, sunny, and the people can be very 'backwards'. NYC is cultured and exciting but very expensive. Chicago is very cultured, exciting, and affordable but the winter is brutal. Stay the hell away from LA and San Fran. They appear nice on the surface but they are very rough to live in. If you don't live in NYC, Boston, Chicago, San Fran, or D.C, be prepared to buy a car.

Like anyplace, the US has it pluses and minuses. Give it a try and see if you like it. If not, you can always go back home. The merry UK won't sink into the ocean after you leave - she will always be there for you if you need to leave this place. Good Luck : )

Answer 3

Stay in the UK.

I'm an American and have friends that work in London. You may think you have it worse, but the US definitely does. We are a work-aholic culture, which means we work long work weeks and have very few days off for vacation. Most companies let you have 10-14 days off a year (excluding weekends) and that's it.

Like someone mentioned above, it's not uncommon for Xmas for example to have to work up until the 24th and then be back at the office on the 26th.

The US isn't as great as many people think. We have a lot of problems in this country that get ignored and pushed aside. While there are few that manage to go from poverty to wealth by working their way up, it is extremely rare.

The UK is definitely better.

Answer 4

I know someone who moved from London to Florida to work and they came home within 3-4 years. According to her, life is based around work and you get very few holidays. Discussions with my other American friends support that. Some companies seem to grudgingly give you Christmas Day off and then expect you back in the office on the 26th for example. Because life is so work orientated, she also found that it was almost impossible to make friends. Because people work til late, their work environment becomes their only social environment. She also found that although Americans are more courteous on the surface, they're very hard to get to know on a deep level. There's superficiality to the 'have a nice day' culture. The other down side is the cost of medical care. I don't think we realise how lucky we are in the UK to have the NHS. Free operations and medicine whenever we need it. My ex neighbour retired to the US, got cancer, and it cost him £250,000 by the time his treatment was finished. From personal experience, although I adore Florida and go there as often as possible, I definitely don't feel as safe in the US as I do in the UK. There are some neighbourhoods you don't want to get out of your car in on a dark night. The economy over there seems to be getting into a bit of trouble right now. Finally, it's getting almost impossible to get a work VISA for the US because of the clamp down on terrorism. Even though the UK and US have a unique relationship, they still don't make allowances for British immigrants. I don't know where you plan on going but remember that although heat seems like a good idea from this rain soaked island, constant high temperatures can be just as demoralising as constant low ones.

This has been mostly negative but I do love the US and it's my favourite place to visit. I'd even consider moving there for a while myself. There's a possibility of creating a better lifestyle for yourself out there, definitely. I think you should probably just not get a too romanticised view of what it would be like.

Answer 5

My Brother moved out there 2 years ago with his American wife and got a job after 6 months of searching in California with an IT firm. He very much wishes that she would move back to the UK, but she prefers the life and pace of America.
As for working etc, he indicates the conditions, hours and incentives are a lot worse than the UK, the security of your job is always being questioned and as there are fewer safeguards anf rights for the Employee out there it is difficult to retain your position if you do not meet a quota or keep to working conditions.
On top of that the expense of hidden charges, insurance and tax are as high as here in comparrison to the exchange rate and the obvious prices of food, clothing and travelling are again as high.
Gun Culture is as bad as it seems and there are areas in the cities you do not travel around unless you are armed or in a group.
It all sounds negative, but then he does admit the weather, scenary and obvious advantages of living over there is a plus.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

I have heard that the holidays are worse in terms of how many days you get off a year. There are much less statutory holidays and annual leave allowances are much lower, obviously this will fluctuate from company to company.

Answer 7

I even have been to the two united states's and individually i could say that the united kingdom is a much better decision the persons are polite the well-being care is robust and loose so which you dont could desire to undertaking approximately well-being center costs its safer interior the united kingdom because of the fact theres no huge gangs college is loose in the experience that your decrease than 21 yet even after that its no longer as high priced because of the fact the U. S. plus the academic equipment is often being greater and actually some greater motives individually i could say the united kingdom yet prob no longer london prob someplace slightly smaller like chester,liverpool,Glasgow,Edinburgh theres particularly no longer plenty ingredient in me asserting all of this because of the fact on your edits you look against the united kingdom o nicely wish this helped in soom way

Answer 8

my hubby would move to America tomorrow if I'd go too! but i want to stay here for my family, although I'd probably consider it in the next 10 years.
he has bought a great book called "living and working in America" and he also has "living and working in Australia", they are FULL of great information about all sorts of stuff you would need to know. i definitely recommend getting them.

Answer 9

well, anything has got to be better than the UK! you could also try australia which is quite 'american' in culture. I grew up there.