Employment opportunities in Britain’s stalling labour market are largely going to workers from the rest of the European Union, according to the latest official data showing a second monthly increase in the number of people out of work.
Highlighting the impact of the enlargement of the EU since the turn of the millennium to include former Soviet bloc countries, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said almost three-quarters of the employment growth in the past year was accounted for by non-UK citizens. Unemployment on the internationally agreed measure rose to 1.85 million between April and June, while the number of people employed fell to 31.03 million.
Recruitment agencies have reported troubles with filling skilled positions from the UK labour pool, according to The Guardian. Ilona Alcock, Operations Director, TheJobsMenu.com, commented that this seems to be a trend in hospitality, the sector her agency works in—although not necessarily a new one. She explained, “A problem that the hospitality industry has historically faced in general is an exceedingly high turnover rate, from the front of house waiters right through to chefs in the kitchen.
“Some of our clients have been experiencing a high volume of applicants who are not eligible to work in the UK. While this doesn’t necessarily present a large problem initially, it can slow down the recruitment process as a whole as brands sort between those who are eligible and those who aren’t.”
Conversely, she indicated that young UK nationals are very willing to apply for hospitality jobs abroad. She commented, “Being involved in the hospitality industry in another country can teach candidates a whole range of skills, which they can bring back home and use to improve restaurants and dishes in their home towns.”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
