Brexit exacerbates UK labour shortages
Report reveals over 300,000 shortfall
Options for policymakers being examined
Brexit has exacerbated the UK's labour shortages over the past year, with industries most reliant on freedom of movement hit hard. The post-Brexit UK economy is facing a shortfall of more than 300,000 workers as the result of ending free movement of labour with the European Union.
A report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has examined the options available to policymakers who want to adjust immigration policy to help address labour shortages. The report found that increasing the number of visas available to skilled workers would be the most effective way to address the shortage in the short term.
The year 2021, the first since the UK operated independently outside the European Union, saw a torrent of complaints about labour shortages. Businesses in sectors such as hospitality, retail, and construction reported struggling to fill vacancies. The record high of 504,000 in UK net migration shown in data this week looks at odds with business leaders' claims that post-Brexit immigration rules are making it harder to recruit staff.
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