Talent quits UK post-Brexit referendum

Britain is now losing more professionals to the 27 member nations of the EU than it has gained from them, according to a new report.

LinkedIn’s latest UK Workforce Report has revealed that migration has been decreasing since the UK voted to leave the EU, with the number of professionals arriving in the UK dropping to 26 per cent over the past 12 months.

Supported by the experience of recruiters, 28 per cent believe that the UK has become a less attractive destination for the rest of the world, with London being the hardest hit since the referendum vote and more people leaving the city to release to the EU.

Some 54 per cent of recruiters within the capital said that this loss of professional has had a “big” or “huge” impact on hiring, with domestic migration not filling the gap left by the reduction in international talent.

March saw an overall decrease in the number of hires, continuing the downward trend since January, with recruitment falling in six of the 12 nations and regions in the UK.

Overall rate was down 1.2 per cent compared with February, with the North East, North West and Wales seeing reductions of -5 per cent, -5 per cent, and -10 per cent respectively. Heavy snowfall during this period could also have had an effect on the figures.

London also witnessed a decrease for the second month in a row, down by a further 2 per cent in March.

LinkedIn’s Workforce Report gathers insights and data from more than 24 million LinkedIn members representing more than 70 per cent of the working age population.

The full April LinkedIn Workforce Report can be read here.