How London brain drain is harming the regions: Report shows graduates flock to capital for work and never return home One in three 22- to 30-year-olds move to the capital after graduating Report warns that other parts of the country are left languishing behind economically as the most promising and talented abandon their home towns By Francesca Infante Young adults flock to London for work and never return to their home regions, a report has revealed. One in three 22- to 30-year-olds now move to the capital after graduating from university, in what has been termed "a brain drain" on the provinces. The result, the report warns, is that other parts of the country are left languishing behind economically as the most promising and talented individuals abandon their home towns. Young adults flock to London for work and never return to their home regions, a report has revealed The report, from think-tank The Centre for Cities, adds to concerns that the UK's economy is dangerously skewed towards London and the South East. It echoes Business Secretary Vince Cable's view that the capital is "a giant suction machine draining the life out of the rest of the country." The report shows that between 2009 and 2013, 80,000 young people migrated to London, dwarfing the 31,600 that left the city during the same period. But while the research shows that people often opt to move out of the city again as they reach their 30s, they are most likely to move to popular commuter areas in Essex, Kent and Sussex and continue to work in London. The report says: "The data indicates that London does appear to suck in talent from the rest of the country. But rather than this being a problem of London's dominance, the more pertinent question appears to be: why aren't other cities offering people enough opportunities to stay - and what can be done about that? London already accounts for more than half of the jobs created in both the public and private sector over the past few years. Between 2010 and 2012 more than 215,000 private sector jobs were created in London alone - equal to four-fifths of the total for the whole UK. In the public sector the detrimental effect of the London market on other parts of the country is even more stark. For every public sector job created in the capital, two were lost elsewhere. And the Centre for Cities claims the gap between the capital and other major cities is widening. It urges for other cities to be given better funding and powers to regulate themselves in a more devolved way. Alexandra Jones, of the Centre for Cities, told The Independent: "London's strength is a huge asset but we need to make the most of our other cities" economic potential."