Call to put economic issues at top of agenda
Almost one million European Union nationals currently working in the UK are considering leaving the country in a potential “Brexit braindrain”, according to a new survey.
Among the 2,000 EU citizens questioned by KPMG UK, of those who said they were considering quitting Britain were 50 per cent of EU workers with Phds, 39 per cent with postgraduate degrees and 52 per cent of those on higher incomes.
But the study also found that 45 per cent plan to stay in the UK after Brexit, with 35 per cent considering leaving and 8 per cent having made up their minds to go.
If all of those considering departure actually left, it would reduce the UK’S national workforce by 3.1 per cent – almost one million people – said the consultancy firm.
Some 51 per cent of those questioned said that they would like to hear a clear commitment from their employers that they want them to stay.
Half of those surveyed said they felt less welcomed and valued in the UK since the Brexit vote and 53 per cent said that the government’s offer to protect their rights after Brexit had made no difference to their thinking.
In a separate poll of 1,000 EU citizens from countries supplying large numbers of workers to the UK, 49 per cent said that the desirability of Britain as a place to live and work had fallen due to the referendum result. British and German business groups have issued a plea to politicians to put economic interests first as they enter the third round of Brexit talks.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the Association of German Chambers of Commerce have demanded certainty on “businesscritical” areas such as custom arrangements, tax and workers’ rights.
The organisations said business was deteriorating for German firms trading with the UK because of Brexit uncertainty, while British companies want a transition period of at least three years to cope with the divorce.
Adam Marshall, directorgeneral of the BCC, said: “As Brexit talks continue, it’s clear that companies in the UK and on the continent all want economic issues to rise to the top of the negotiations agenda.
“There is real business appetite from both sides for a focus on practical, day-to-day business concerns, and a desire for clarity on future trading arrangements.”