United Kingdom may facilitate visas due to lack of labor – 09/03/2023 – Market

The British government said on Thursday (9) it was considering easing its visa policy in the face of a labor shortage, in part due to Brexit, which made it difficult to hire workers from the European Union.

The Executive says he wants to ensure that the system adopted after leaving the EU “meets the needs of the UK and works in the best interests of the economy, prioritizing the skills and talent we need”.

“This includes a review of the list of professions” with labor shortages, the government explained in a statement. This list determines which occupations will have the easiest access to work visas.

British companies have been calling for an easing of the visa policy in the UK for months, as hotels, transport companies and farms suffer severe labor shortages since Brexit and Covid-19, which exacerbates the ills of an economy threatened with recession.

There are more than a million vacant jobs in the country, a number that also reflects the fact that many Britons have left the job market since the pandemic, between long-term illnesses and early retirements, according to the ONS (Office of National Statistics).

More than a quarter (27%) of companies with ten or more employees were facing labor shortages at the end of February, according to ONS data.

“That means many will have no choice but to raise salaries to attract and retain employees,” said Susannah Streeter, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.