Over the past year, Britain has witnessed a significant increase in job searches from international candidates. This rise can be attributed, in part, to the relaxation of work visa regulations for non-European Union nationals following Brexit, as revealed by data from the job recruitment platform Indeed on Tuesday.

In June, a historic high of 5.5% of searches for employment opportunities in Britain on Indeed’s website originated from prospective candidates located outside the country. This marks an increase from the 4.4% recorded the previous year and exceeds the average of 3.6% observed between 2017 and 2019.

This upsurge indicates a rising attraction among non-EU candidates for more specialized roles, such as software development. It also signifies a transition away from the lower-skilled positions that were traditionally occupied by European workers before Britain’s departure from the EU in January 2020.

The United Kingdom government’s new immigration policy is functioning as planned.

Pawel Adrjan – The Director at Indeed

Non-EU Job Seekers

In June, job seekers from the European Union comprised 1.4% of the total UK job searches on Indeed’s platform, showing a slight decrease from pre-Brexit levels. In contrast, interest from non-EU countries has surged, now representing more than double the percentage at 4.1% of all searches. Key countries contributing to this increase include Pakistan, India, South Africa and Nigeria.

Despite a recent decrease in inflation, the Bank of England has directed its attention towards labour shortages as wage growth reaches its highest point in over two decades.

UK’s Immigration Policy Impact

Following Brexit, the UK government implemented a phased discontinuation of the unrestricted right for most EU nationals to relocate to Britain for employment purposes.

Nevertheless, there were adjustments to visa regulations, eliminating the necessity for employers to demonstrate their inability to hire a British or EU worker. These changes applied to positions offering an annual salary of at least £26,200 (equivalent to $33,431), just slightly below the average annual wage in the UK, and adhering to the prevailing pay standards for that specific job category.

Challenges in Labor Market

Visas for lower-paid workers are available in regions facing acute labour shortages, predominantly in the healthcare and social care sectors.

However, employers within industries like hospitality, as well as lower-paying segments of manufacturing and construction, are currently facing challenges in recruiting talent from overseas.

Official estimates indicate that in 2022, Britain experienced a record net migration of 606,000 individuals.

Immigration to developed nations has rebounded in recent years, driven by robust job markets and aging demographics.

Adrjan

Canada and Australia have witnessed a near doubling in job searches from individuals of foreign origin since 2019, representing 10.9% and 17.2% of their respective total job searches, as reported by Indeed, a platform that boasts 330 million unique visitors each month.

In contrast, the percentages of international job seekers focusing on the United States and the European Union were 3.4% and 2.7%, respectively. These figures have remained largely unchanged from the pre-pandemic period.

Indeed’s Data