The REC believe that British firms could face issues in key sectors like food supply if the government does not allow employers to continue to access temporary and seasonal workers from the European Union (EU) after Brexit.
Launching the report, Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) chief executive Neil Carberry, said, “With employment at record highs, firms are already struggling to fill vacancies. If we cut off access to EU temps, British firms would be less able to compete with imported goods on our supermarket shelves, a real blow to our economy and a boost for overseas manufacturers.”
The REC recommends that, as part of the exit deal with the EU, eligibility to work in the UK for EU nationals should be linked to individuals having a job – not a permit linked to a permanent job with a single employer. This will allow EU workers to work for different employers on a range of temporary assignments while they are here.
EU nationals make up seven per cent of the population but account for 14% of the UK’s workforce and it’s reported that four out of five (81%) employers who create temporary or seasonal jobs hire EU workers.
According to research, much of this is driven by a shortage of labour in many areas of the UK; 42% of employers said they had not been able to find enough workers to fill all their seasonal or temporary vacancies.
This is a concern echoed by recruiters, with approximately a third of recruitment agencies supplying agency workers to the warehousing (29%), hospitality (38%), or food and drink (39%) sectors not being able to meet their clients’ overall demand for staff.
Neil added, “Our future immigration system should be based on the contribution people come to make, not an immovable numerical target which isn’t based on evidence of what is needed for prosperity.
“Employers need the government to secure the transition period quickly including an agreement on mobility in the exit deal. Temporary and seasonal roles need to be part of this. The right to work must be attached to the individual coming to work, not dependent on sponsorship by an employer or the promise of a permanent contract.
“People who take on temporary and seasonal jobs are vital to our economy and help to keep work here that may otherwise be done elsewhere. Ignoring the potential for new jobs and UK competitiveness this creates would be blinkered. The hospitality, warehousing and food and drink sectors rely heavily on EU nationals and if they can’t continue to fill these roles we risk damage to supply chains that will affect all our daily lives.”
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