Should Rishi Sunak relax immigration rules as Britain hit by skills shortage?

The research by the UK in a Changing Europe and the Centre for European Reform think-tanks show that post-Brexit the UK economy is suffering from labour shortages in lower-skilled sectors, including logistics, construction and hospitality, with the lack of free movement “contributing significantly” to this. The research found that by June 2022, the nation had experienced a net loss of around 330,000 workers, equivalent to one percent of the UK workforce.

Co-author of the report, Jonathan Portes, professor of economics and public policy at King’s College, London, said that the shift in migration patterns was “a feature, not a bug”. He added: “The longer-term impact on the UK labour market will be profound.”