Report comes as Labour plans to end overseas-only recruitment
Almost half of UK businesses have turned to migrant workers as they struggle to find local talent, a report from British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has found.
Staff from overseas are also said to have a more positive work ethic, have little or no time off sick, and pick up new skills quickly, according to the 2,885 survey respondents across the UK.
Results of the BCC’s 2014 Workforce Survey showed that 45 per cent of UK firms hire migrants from within and outside the EU. Twelve per cent of businesses said EU migrants made up more than 10 per cent of their workforce, while 4 per cent said non-EU migrants accounted for more than 10 per cent of staff.
John Longworth, director general of BCC, said despite the ongoing concern of high levels of unemployment in the UK, employers “continue to rely on migrant workers, because they can’t find enough suitable talent locally”.
“Nearly half of businesses are hiring migrant workers, as they believe that they are more suited to roles than UK workers, have a more positive work ethic and better experience and qualifications,” he told The Guardian.
The BCC’s survey found that 92 per cent of businesses have identified a skills shortage among their workforce in at least one key area, and the catering and accommodation sectors were most likely to turn to migrant talent, with 70 per cent of these firms already doing so.
Despite the perception that increased immigration would lower average wages in the UK, just 4 per cent of companies cited a reduced wage bill as motivation for employing migrant workers, the BCC found.
This supports the findings of the CIPD report on migration published in September, which showed that just 12 per cent of employers said they recruited migrant workers because they have lower expectations about pay and conditions.
The BCC report comes as Ed Miliband promises to crackdown on recruiters advertising jobs exclusively overseas.
As part of a wave of measures to tackle ‘rogue’ employment agencies, Miliband will implement a three-point plan if the Labour party wins the general election in May, including closing the ‘Swedish Derogation’ loophole and a new licensing system to keep track of misconduct.
Nora Senior, president of the BCC suggested that employers’ increased commitment to up-skilling staff could help fund the skills gap, in light of a lack of local talent.
“Long-standing complaints around the cost of training, a lack of suitable courses, and staff availability – since people are needed at the front line – remain important issues. To ensure that even more businesses can invest in training, which in turn will drive higher wages, we need to improve dialogue between firms and the organisations that offer training – so that companies find training that is relevant, cost-effective and a good fit with staff working hours,” she said.