Despite government efforts to attract skilled migrants and boost economic growth, the UK is facing a growing challenge: high-wage foreigners are shunning the UK in favor of countries like France and the Netherlands, Bloomberg reports.
According to data from Indeed, a leading job search website, only a fifth of clicks on British job postings from workers abroad were for high-wage jobs, defined as those offering the upper third of salaries. This figure is significantly lower than other advanced economies, with only Spain registering a smaller proportion.
While foreign workers continue to show strong interest in the UK job market, the data suggests they are not the type of workers the government desires. The lowest-paid jobs attracted a staggering 40% of clicks from abroad, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Conservative policies aimed at discouraging low-skill migration.
This decline in interest from skilled foreigners poses a major challenge for the new Labor government’s ambitions to solidify Britain’s position at the top of the Group of Seven growth league. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce reliance on foreign labor by improving training for British workers, but with sectors like IT and engineering facing persistent staff shortages, the government remains eager to attract skilled talent from overseas.
In contrast to the UK, France and the Netherlands are proving more attractive to high-skill workers. Indeed data shows that over one in three clicks from foreign workers on job postings in these countries were for the best-paid positions.
The UK’s tighter immigration rules since Brexit in 2021 may be contributing to this decline in interest from high-skilled migrants. However, these stricter rules have not deterred foreign workers overall. Interest in UK jobs on Indeed remains 54% above pre-Brexit and pandemic levels, with three times more work permits issued than in 2019.
While the UK sees strong interest from workers in countries like India, Pakistan, the US, and the UAE, particularly in sectors like food preparation and retail, a growing number of British workers themselves are looking for opportunities abroad. A majority of UK employees believe their lifestyle would improve by relocating to another country, and half believe working abroad would boost their incomes and offer better career opportunities.
Smaller economies are proving more attractive to foreign workers than major nations. Luxembourg, for example, has emerged as a top destination thanks to its multilingual environment, job opportunities in the financial sector, and a high number of cross-border employees.
