Brexit has negatively affected the UK’s attractiveness to overseas talent, with nearly half of skilled non-Brits based in the UK likely to leave in the next five years, according to Deloitte research
The study found Brexit has affected perceptions. For those based outside the UK, 21% now find the UK less attractive, compared to 48% for those based in Britain.
Overall, 36% of non-British workers based here are considering leaving in the next five years. Highly skilled EU workers are most likely to leave, with 47% expecting to in the next five years.
Not only at the most skilled workers set to leave in the largest numbers, but they are also the ‘most likely to leave first’, Deloitte’s Power up: the UK workplace report found.
Despite that, the UK still remains one of the most attractive countries for foreign workers to come to, with 89% of survey respondents saying they see the country as either ‘quite’ or ‘highly’ attractive to work in. The UK beat places like the USA, Canada, and Australia in terms of desirability, Deloitte found.
‘Overseas workers, especially those from the EU, tell us they are more likely to leave the UK than before," David Sproul, the chief executive of Deloitte North West Europe said. ‘That points to a short-to-medium term skills deficit that can be met in part by upskilling our domestic workforce but which would also benefit from an immigration system that is attuned to the needs of the economy.’
The findings come after Theresa May put forward the UK’s proposals for EU nationals living in the UK after Brexit.
The prime minister told the House of Commons on Monday that all EU citizens living in the UK before the date that Britain leaves will be able to apply for ‘settled status’ to remain living and working here, as long as British citizens living in the EU are granted the same rights.
For its part, the European Commission is pledging to match the five year threshold for permanent residence in the EU for UK citizens. It promises the ‘same level of protection as set out in Union law at the date of withdrawal of EU citizens in the UK and of UK nationals in the EU including the right to acquire permanent residence after a continuous period of five years of legal residence’.
Deloitte’s Power up: the UK workplace report is here.
