A new study shows that Britain’s attractiveness has grown in recent years, making it one of the most desirable countries in Europe for international workers.
By Zee Johnson
A recent Indeed survey found that Britain is one of the most sought-after large countries in Europe for foreign jobseekers.
The survey analysed more than 800 million cross-border job searches dating back to 2019 and discovered that Britain had Europe’s third-highest number of inbound job searches. Luxembourg and Switzerland took the top two spots, respectively.
Whilst border restrictions remain rigid post-Brexit, the country has loosened protocol for some workers who are looking to employ high-paying jobs and/or work in industries that are experiencing shortages.
Pawel Adrjan, Indeed’s head of EMEA research, says that Britain is gaining a lot of attention from workers looking for a new start, regardless of obvious barriers. “Despite the double-header of Brexit and the pandemic, [Britain] continues to be one of the most attractive destinations for international workers and is increasingly popular with job-seekers outside of Europe,” he said.
Immigrants from nations like Hong Kong, for instance, have been eager to make the move. At the beginning of last year, the UK introduced a new visa giving millions of Hong Kong residents (70%) the opportunity to live in the UK and eventually become citizens. Added with workers from other countries who are also making the move, could Britain soon take the number one spot as the most attractive European country for international workers?
Recent market data revealed that the number of EU workers in Britain in the first quarter of 2022 had declined by 188,000 over the past two years, down to 2.227 million. However, the number of non-EU workers rose by 220,000 to 1.691 million.
