Migrant Numbers Drop, “Creating Shortage of Skilled Workers in Britain”

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Migrant workers pick grapes at Chapel Down Winery's Kit's Coty vineyard in Aylesford, Kent (image: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)
Migrant workers pick grapes at Chapel Down Winery's Kit's Coty vineyard in Aylesford, Kent (image: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

The United Kingdom is facing a shortage of skilled workers that is suddenly growing worse, said a report. There has been a “sudden reversal” in the numbers of E.U. and Non-E.U. migrant workers in the U.K.

The “Sudden Reversal”

A new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (C.I.P.D.) and the Adecco Group has shown that the shortage of skilled workers in the United Kingdom is getting worse. It underscored that this trend is likely to continue as a result of the “sudden reversal” in the numbers of E.U. and non-E.U. migrants employed across the United Kingdom.

The report involved research including the participation of 1,000 employers. Findings suggested that vacancies were becoming increasingly difficult to fill. As a results, employers are required to raise their pay rates in order to try to boost their appeal among a shrinking number of skilled candidates.

Falling U.K. Employment Appeal Among Migrant Workers

The report said that the United Kingdom was losing its appeal as a place to work for skilled migrant workers.

“The data implies that the pendulum has swung away from the UK as an attractive place to live and work for non-UK-born citizens, especially non-EU citizens, during a period of strong employment growth and low unemployment,” said the C.I.P.D.’s Gerwyn Davies. “This has heightened recruitment difficulties for some employers. It also underlines the risk that more non-UK-born citizens and employers will be discouraged from using the post-Brexit system if more support is not provided and it is not made simpler, fairer and more affordable; especially for lower-skilled roles.”

Davies went on to underscore that in an ecosystem in which the labour market is tightening, failing to reach these goals will only increase the challenges to recruitment. Moreover, it may also “lead to negative consequences for existing staff, such as higher workloads, and loss of business or orders for firms.”

Recruitment and Retention Challenges

The labour market in the United Kingdom is already a tight one at the moment, pointed out the Adecco Group’s Alex Fleming. He added that his organization’s research is only underscoring the rising recruitment and retention challenges employers are currently facing and what they will be dealing with in the future.

“While the data is not showing wages rising across the board, we are regularly seeing this pressure being exerted in the recruitment space,” said Fleming.

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Alvexo on the matter.