Big drop in EU nationals seeking work in UK

THE number of people in the European Union (EU) looking for jobs in Britain has fallen by almost a fifth since the start of the year, a new study has revealed.

The drop is the biggest since the referendum vote to leave the EU last year, jobs site Indeed said.

Its research showed the number of UK residents looking for work in other EU countries has increased since January.

Mariano Mamertino, of Indeed, said: “As Article 50 looms, we are seeing a sharper and longer decline in interest in working in the UK than in previous ‘shock drops’ following last year’s referendum.

“As Brexit moves from rhetoric to reality, the strain on Britain’s strong but tight labour market will worsen.

“For better or worse, a British labour market with fewer EU workers will be immediately confronted with a range of complex questions that will need to be resolved quickly to prevent major disruption.”

A separate analysis of official data found one million jobs (44.3% of all new jobs) created in Britain since 2008 were filled by people born in another EU country. The dependence is most acute in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors, which together account for a quarter of all EU nationals employed in the UK.

Mr Mamertino added: “Such heavy reliance on European talent could prove a serious liability if Brexit interrupts the flow of workers.

“With Europeans’ appetite for working in the UK already on the wane, if a non-EU Britain puts up legal barriers to EU workers coming here, or if the UK economy slumps in the wake of Brexit, European jobseekers won’t hesitate to look elsewhere.”