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UK employers plug skills gaps with foreign workers

Foreign workers are increasingly being used by British employers to plug skills shortages, according to new research.

The Borderless Workforce study by Manpower found that 20 per cent of bosses are recruiting non-nationals to address talent deficits, while the UK has become the second most popular destination for global workers to look for employment.

Workers from Poland, India and Latvia were revealed to be the most likely to find employment with UK companies.

Mark Cahill, manager director of Manpower, noted that foreign workers enter a range of different industries, adding: "What is consistent is that these people are motivated to work and are able to address skills shortages.”

In an indication of the globalised nature of today's labour market, the report also ascertained that more than half of UK employees are considering moving overseas to look for work, with Europe, Australia and the US the most popular destinations.

The government update the National Shortages Occupation List earlier this month, which is used to assess work permit applications, adding 28 new occupations to list. Almost all of them were in the electricity generation industry.