LONDON – Britain is struggling to draw high-skilled foreign workers, with many opting for countries like France and the Netherlands instead, despite efforts by the government to attract talent to fuel economic growth.
Data from job-search website Indeed for the first half of 2024 reveals that only 20% of international clicks on British job postings were for high-wage positions, which offer the top third of salaries. This is notably lower than other advanced economies, with only Spain showing a smaller proportion.
The low interest in high-wage jobs from abroad contrasts with the high demand for low-paid roles, which attracted 40% of foreign clicks. This disparity challenges the Conservative government’s efforts to limit low-skill migration and casts doubt on their strategy to attract top talent.
The new Labour government faces the task of balancing the need to reduce reliance on foreign labor with the necessity of addressing staff shortages in key sectors like IT and engineering. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to enhance the training of British workers to meet this demand.
Mr. Pawel Adrjan, economic research director at Indeed, highlighted that while interest in UK jobs has surged, the country lags behind other Western nations in attracting highly skilled workers. France and the Netherlands have succeeded in capturing a larger share of high-skill job clicks, with more than one in three international searches targeting well-paid roles.
The tightening of immigration rules post-Brexit may have made the UK less appealing to high-skilled migrants, though overall foreign interest in UK jobs remains strong, exceeding pre-Brexit and pre-pandemic levels by 54%. The number of work permits issued has also tripled compared to 2019.
Despite high foreign interest, sectors like food preparation and retail see the greatest growth in overseas job searches, with countries like India, Pakistan, the US, and the UAE showing significant interest in UK positions.
However, Britain might be losing its domestic workforce to other countries, with many UK employees believing that moving abroad would enhance their lifestyle, increase their incomes, and offer better career opportunities. Smaller economies, such as Luxembourg, continue to attract foreign workers with their multilingual environments and robust job opportunities in sectors like finance.