Data collected by Deloitte Consulting confirm what both British and Polish companies in the UK fear most. Nearly half of all highly skilled employees may leave the UK in the next five years. One third of all foreign jobholders in the UK are considering leaving the country within the same period. Among them are many qualified workers from European Union Member States, including Poland. Deloitte has published the results of its survey, showing that 47 per cent of highly skilled jobholders from the EU are considering leaving the UK within five years.
The report is a warning, in particular for employers, who are urging the government to start planning solutions. Better use of automation may be one of them. 36 per cent of the respondents who are non-British workers have declared that they are considering leaving the country. And although after Prime Minister Theresa May’s declaration promising to maintain the rights of workers from the EU after Brexit, some of the attitudes may change, the causes for the present situation are more complicated. One reason involves the uncertain economic situation which means less income for pound-earning immigrants, unable to keep sending the same amount of money home. However, other surveys show that the United Kingdom still remains one of the most attractive countries for foreign workers to come to. 57 per cent of respondents listed the UK among the four top destinations for foreign job seekers, along with the USA, Australia and Canada. On the other hand, the jobholders now living in the UK believe that after the referendum the UK has become a bit less attractive for foreign workers.
"The UK’s cultural diversity, employment opportunities and quality of life are assets that continue to attract the world’s best and brightest people (…) However, after Brexit, non-British jobholders are more likely to leave the UK than before. Besides highly skilled workers, this group includes also workers with medium-level qualifications whose deficit could seriously affect British economy," said David Sproul of Deloitte. "The latest Deloitte’s survey figures came as no surprise to me. British employers more and more frequently seek employees through advertising in Polish media. Both the Polish Express News portal, and the "Polish Express" paper issue have seen an avalanche growth in the numbers of queries as regards the terms of advertising. Companies and employment agencies that seek good and reliable Polish workers come to us as it is getting more and more difficult to find them on the UK labour market," comments Ilona Korzeniowska, Editor-in-Chief of "Polish Express".
