Advisers to the British government have suggested that to tackle shortages of workers in a wide range of occupations – from archaeologists and architects to vets and web developers, it is imperative that the UK ensures arrival of a wider range of immigrants. It was just days that data revealed the fall of in the rate of immigration to a five-year low.

One of the issues that Britain is reviewing as it prepares to leave the European Union is its immigration system. Currently under the EU norms, almost unrestricted free movement of workers within the 28 member countries is allowed.

Since 2009, there has been permanent settlement of more than 3 million to Britain. The government however wants to lower that rate of immigration to about 100,000 every year. This was one of the top considerations for voters when they participated in the referendum to leave the EU in 2016.

The UK government’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) said that since 2013, there has been an increase in the shortages of workers in Britain’s economy even as there has been a drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest since 1957. This was revealed in the first full review of job shortages in five years by the MAC.

Jobs similar to those done by 9 per cent of workers in the UK should be put on an immigration shortage list compared to less than 1 per cent in 2013, recommended the body that is comprised of mostly of academic labour market economists.

“The expansion comes mainly from the wider set of health and IT sector jobs included,” the report said.

The UK government generally followed previous recommendations made by the MAC even though they are not binding on the government.

Including job types in the ‘shortage occupation list’ would eliminate the need for employers to prove to the government that there is a shortage of workers and they are unable to hire. Additionally, if quotas are applied, priority of shortage workers would be given over some other immigrants.

The recommendations from the body were welcomed by businesses. Companies operating in Britain have been urging the government to lift a cap on high-skilled immigrants. It had however also upset some companies by opposing a new category of post-Brexit visa for low-skilled EU workers.

“Our research shows that three-quarters of firms are currently unable to find the talent they need, and vacancies are being left unfilled,” the British Chambers of Commerce said.

However the new job shortage list was described as “astonishing” by Migration Watch UK which is a body that wants less immigration.

“The MAC seems to have turned 180 degrees from its previous emphasis on encouraging employers to recruit domestically through improved wages, better conditions and boosted training,” Migration Watch’s vice-chairman, Alp Mehmet, said.

According to recent polling by market research company Kantar, at the time of the 2016 referendum, the top concern for Britons was stricter border controls. But that has now become third in their list of concerns and has been replaced by funding public healthcare and education.

(Adapted from Reuters.com)

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