Brexit and its impact on TEFL jobs and salaries

It is probably fair to say that whether you voted Remain or Leave you are feeling anxious about the future.  After trying to follow the line of thought on both sides of the argument you wouldn’t be alone in struggling to untangle all the arguments and make sense of the forecasts.  But what are the real consequences of Brexit for British TEFL teachers working here and abroad?  One thing that everyone can agree on is that nobody knows what the outcome will be; it hasn’t happened before and so we are relying on predictions.  Here teflhub looks at the likely effect of Brexit on TEFL jobs and salaries in the UK and around the world.

Salaries in the UK

Salaries in the UK should stay the same, but there’s a chance that there’ll be more opportunities for work as English courses will be more appealing to foreign students as their currencies become stronger against the pound.  Providing rent and food costs are not affected, the only time a TEFL teacher will feel the effects of Brexit on their pockets is if they wish to travel overseas on holiday or for that first month of an overseas contract when they are living off their British savings.

Salaries abroad

Within the EU the € has strengthened against the £ so if you are on a salary of €2,000 per month then this has changed from a low of £1,530 per month on the 23rd of June to a high of £1,720 per month on the 6th of July (to view the source click here) so your salary will have increased by around an extra £200/month. You won’t really notice this unless you return to the UK.

TEFL Jobs in the UK

In theory the weakening pound should make costs for overseas students taking courses in the UK cheaper and so encourage more enrolment.  The UK already has a huge amount of students coming here throughout the year, but especially for summer schools and for graduate students taking EAP (English for Academic Purposes) courses required prior to taking on degrees in the UK.  However, some universities have stated that the uncertainty caused by Brexit has led to some European graduate students cancelling their courses.  Aberystwyth University has had 100 students cancel, 50 the day after the referendum.  This might be because of the fear of instability, but it could easily just be a knee-jerk reaction or wily students cancelling and then re-enrolling so that they save money on their courses due to the stronger € against the £.  However, the majority of students taking EAP courses come from outside the EU so jobs should be secure.

TEFL Jobs within the EU

Once article 50 has been activated the Brexit has to be completed within two years, but the finer details and other negotiations are likely to take years so that current TEFL jobs shouldn’t be affected for at least two years.  An article from the BBC suggests that deportations would be unlikely and that free movement within the EU would continue (click here to read the BBC article on common Brexit questions). However, an article from The Guardian suggests that the status quo is unlikely to continue and that British citizens working and living in the EU can expect to go through the same visa application process one might experience applying for jobs in countries in the rest of the world (to read the article from the Guardian click here). The Telegraph suggests that the jobs most affected by Brexit will be the casual type so qualified individuals should be okay as any quota system will favour those with sought-after credentials, such as TEFL certificates (to read The Telegraph article click here). 

Salaries and jobs elsewhere in the world

Jobs elsewhere in the world shouldn’t be affected.  If the pound continues to weaken, then overseas salaries should convert into more pounds on returning to the UK.  But if you are paid in pounds overseas, which would be unusual, then you will feel the negative effects of the weakening pound.  Those teachers working in the Middle East are often paid in US dollars or in local currencies which are pegged to the dollar.  This means that as the dollar becomes stronger, you’ll have more pounds.  Many other countries around the world which are favourite destinations for TEFL teachers are experiencing the same effect on their currencies. For example, in Japan where a standard TEFL salary is 250,000 Yen a month this was valued at a low on the 23rd of June at £1,563 per month whereas the Yen reached a high of £1,919 per month on the 6th of July, so in terms of your salary in pounds it has increased by £356 per month (to view the source click here). 

Once again, it is important to remember that nobody really knows what the outcome will be, but teflhub will update this post as the situation develops.