Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

BrexitLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessLabour marketRecruitment & retention

UK job searches from EU down by a third

by Adam McCulloch 17 Jun 2021
by Adam McCulloch 17 Jun 2021 Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock

UK businesses’ struggle to recruit sufficient workers has been fuelled by a decline in interest from EU-based jobseekers of more than one third.

Figures from global jobs website Indeed show that searches from continental Europe were down by 36% in May from average levels in 2019.

Lower paid work in the hospitality, care and warehouse sectors recorded the biggest declines at 41%.

Although travel restrictions caused by the Covid crisis were a factor, job search figures from EU jobseekers looking for work in other countries did not decline to the same extent.

This leads the Indeed report to suggest that post-Brexit immigration rules are having a strong impact on jobseekers’ choices.

Brexit and employment

EU Settlement Scheme deadline nears: an extra headache for businesses

Brexit: steady flow of finance jobs to EU continues

Brexit: Which EU employment rules could be up for review?

Brexit and UK employment law

The analysis found that that searches from non-EU countries and Ireland, however, had fallen by only 1%.

Indeed found that jobseeker interest from non-EU countries, led by nations such as India and Hong Kong, was rising but not  fast enough to offset falling EU interest.

Jack Kennedy, a UK economist at Indeed, said that although employers in sectors such as tech, science and engineering were continuing to attract staff from the rest of the world, lower paid roles in the UK were no longer receiving clicks.

He said these roles were not receiving the same attention from foreign workers as they did only two years ago. “It means domestic workers may be required to fill the gaps,” he said.

“However, with many sectors, including hospitality, already struggling to recruit all the staff they need, higher salaries may be required to attract UK workers to fill those roles.”

In recent weeks a variety of business leaders have raised the alarm over a lack of staff, with JD Wetherspoon chief Tim Martin calling for a new type of visa for EU workers.

Gillian McKearney, head of UK immigration at law firm Fieldfisher, warned that unless the government extended the 30 June deadline for applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, the situation for UK firms employing lower paid workers from Europe could deteriorate further.

She said: “With just two weeks left for EU nationals in the UK to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme, it’s clear that many industries, particularly construction and hospitality, are suffering from worker shortages, worsened by the continued Covid-19 lockdowns. Presently, it seems that the many loopholes available to employers are closing rapidly.

“The EU Settlement Scheme is a one-off opportunity for businesses and workers to preserve mobility of EU workers to the UK, which will soon be gone with the closure of the scheme this month.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“However, time is against those businesses who previously depended on EU workers. While many industries seem hopeful for a lifeline from the UK government in the eleventh hour either by way of an extension of the scheme or sector-based concessions, this has not been apparent and seems unlikely to be forthcoming.”

Recruitment and resourcing opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more recruitment and resourcing jobs

Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch first worked for Personnel Today magazine in the early 1990s as a sub editor. He rejoined Personnel Today as a writer in 2017, covering all aspects of HR but with a special interest in diversity, social mobility and industrial relations. He has ventured beyond the HR realm to work as a freelance writer and production editor in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He is also the author of KentWalksNearLondon. Adam first became interested in industrial relations after witnessing an exchange between Arthur Scargill and National Coal Board chairman Ian McGregor in 1984, while working as a temp in facilities at the NCB, carrying extra chairs into a conference room!

previous post
Tribunal rules senior Met Police officer’s sacking was unfair
next post
Business chiefs seek more help on furlough and right to work

You may also like

Workers ‘wait and see’ as companies struggle to...

16 May 2025

So what does the election of a new...

9 May 2025

Rumours during recruitment: how should HR respond?

9 May 2025

Teacher apprenticeship route to be tied to school...

9 May 2025

British Steel to resume recruitment

8 May 2025

M&S pauses hiring as it deals with cyber...

2 May 2025

Top 10 HR questions April 2025: increases to...

2 May 2025

Leading with honest feedback: A responsibility in recruitment

24 Apr 2025

Succession planning now ‘more of a priority than...

24 Apr 2025

Number of SMEs hiring staff in decline

10 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+