UK ‘falling behind in attracting highly skilled foreign workers’

The UK is falling behind other Western countries in attracting highly skilled foreign workers, research suggests.

Jobs site Indeed said only around a fifth of those using the site to look for work were foreign workers, compared with more than a third in France and the Netherlands.

An analysis of 10 countries found that the UK had the second lowest percentage of “clicks” from foreign workers, only behind Spain.

Two in five overseas workers looking for UK jobs were for the lowest-paid vacancies, said the report.

Indeed said Brexit has added complexity to the UK’s immigration policies, with a new points-based system making it more challenging for employers to hire foreign workers, including EU citizens.

A survey of 1,500 UK employees and employers showed that employers were torn as to whether Brexit will help or hinder them from hiring talent from outside the UK.

Competitive

Pawel Adrjan, of Indeed, said: “Countries stand to gain by enhancing their attractiveness to meet the changing needs of their labour markets and to remain competitive in a global context of increased mobility among highly skilled professionals.

“Indeed data shows that while there’s been a surge in foreign interest in UK roles, the country falls behind other Western nations in attracting highly skilled workers, which is at odds with the Government’s current immigration policy.

“As borders become less relevant for workers, businesses and states must offer not only competitive salaries but also attractive living conditions, high-performing healthcare and education systems, and political and economic stability.

“Our research shows that although 35% of employers identified legal red tape as a significant challenge to hiring workers from outside the UK, 41% agree that current immigration policies will support their efforts to recruit workers from abroad.

“The large rise in searches for UK jobs from abroad in recent years suggests there is a pool of candidates ready to fill those roles.”