By Bernama,
London : Despite the shortage of foreign workers, India is one of the top three sources of international recruitment for British employers, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Wednesday quoting an industry report as saying.
According to Manpower’s report titled ‘Borderless Workforce’, it is said that 20 percent of British employers are turning to foreign workers to meet working skills shortage
The report, which was based on a survey of over 28,000 employers and 29,800 workers, revealed that United Kingdom is the second most popular location for workers to relocate for work after the United States.
The Europe, Middle East and Africa remains as the top chosen destination for workers
The survey reveals that UK employers are using foreign labour to address shortages in a variety of hard-to-fill UK roles: labourers, chefs/cooks, skilled trades, PAs and administrative assistants, accounting and finance staff, doctors and nursing staff.
Mark Cahill, Managing Director of Manpower UK, said: “The UK has a widely recognised skills shortage which many employers are struggling with.
“By being open-minded about how this can be addressed – including looking to overseas talent -many employers are able to meet these challenges”.
“As pressures from an ageing workforce and low birth-rate grow, these shortages will become more apparent.
“Workers coming to the UK cover a wide spectrum of roles from highly skilled positions such as medical doctors and accountants to manual trades and labourers. What is consistent is that these people are motivated to work and are able to address skills shortages,” Cahill said.
According to the data, UK employers are not too worried on the local labour market when about 18 percent British workers considering moving abroad.
The data also reveals that UK workers are highly- respected with global employers citing UK workers as the fourth most popular for filling their talent shortages.
Cahill added: “Today’s labour market has a constant circulation of workers – out of the UK as well as into the country. The UK’s flexible labour market is of huge benefit to many employers and employees and we believe is key to the success of the economy”.
He said although this flow continues it is a win-win for everyone but it is important to ensure that the right recruitment and retention policies are in place for employers to attract, identify and hold onto those individuals who will make the difference to their business.