EU workers slowly return to UK job searches
The end of lockdown restrictions in the UK has prompted an increase in the number of Europeans looking for work in the country, according to a new report.
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“But there is hope for companies recruiting this month and into the autumn. Adzuna’s latest data covering the first seven days of this month shows a swell in jobseeker activity from the UK and overseas. As kids go back to school and border restrictions ease, we anticipate jobseekers flooding back into the market.”The report pointed out that the flow of migrant labour from the EU had dried up during the pandemic with many workers returning to their home countries. Official figures last month showed that the number of vacancies in the UK had exceeded one million for the first time.Adzuna said the absence of European workers is causing disquiet in the business community and had led to calls for the government to ease its post-Brexit immigration policy.It was a message reinforced on Monday by Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). He said in a speech at Manchester Business School: “It’s uncomfortable to hear, but we’ve benefited from abundant labour for a long time now."Yet the labour shortages we’re hearing about – in sectors like logistics and transport, food and drink manufacturing, engineering and technology – aren’t something businesses can resolve by simply increasing hourly rates.“We need to be honest about what this is going to take rather than government pretending firms can solve this overnight. If you want to solve the immediate shortages, you’re going to need to use the new immigration system we developed post-Brexit to bring in only the skills we need. It was built for exactly this situation."Adzuna pointed out the shortages had become a concern for the Bank of England, whose governor, Andrew Bailey, said last month that the "challenge of avoiding a steep rise in unemployment has been replaced by that of ensuring a flow of labour into jobs".The company added: "Renewed interest from migrant workers is not keeping pace with the rapid increase in demand for workers. Vacancies are rising at a record pace and sectors that rely heavily on migrant workers are still struggling with a shortfall of EU workers.“There are over one million roles still unfilled in Britain this month and there is clearly a lingering supply and demand imbalance in place."
Read more news and views from David Sapsted.
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