The report titled 'Borderless Workforce' by Manpower, a leading private sector employment services organisation, says that foreign workers continue to be welcomed in the United Kingdom.
It said that 20 per cent of British employers are turning to foreign workers to meet skills shortage. India, Poland and Latvia are the top sources for foreign skills, the report says. The report is based on a survey of over 28,000 employers and 29,800 workers.
The research reveals that globally the UK is the second most popular location for workers to relocate to for work, after the US, and the first destination of choice among workers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The survey reveals that UK employers are using foreign labour to address shortages in a variety of hard-to-fill UK roles: labourers, chefs/cooks, skilled trades, PAs and administrative assistants, accounting and finance staff, doctors and nursing staff.
Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK, says: "The UK has a widely recognised skills shortage which many employers are struggling with. By being open-minded about how this can be addressed including looking to overseas talent many employers are able to meet these challenges.
"As pressures from an ageing workforce and low birth-rate grow, these shortages will become more apparent.
"Workers coming to the UK cover a wide spectrum of roles from highly skilled positions such as medical doctors and accountants to manual trades and labourers. What is consistent is that these people are motivated to work and are able to address skills shortages."
According to the data, UK employers are not overly worried about British workers considering moving abroad with less than one in five (18 per cent) concerned about the impact this might have on the local labour market.
The data also reveals that UK workers are highly-respected with global employers citing UK workers as the fourth most popular for filling their talent shortages.
Cahill added: "Today's labour market has a constant circulation of workers out of the UK as well as into the country. The UK's flexible labour market is of huge benefit to many employers and employees and we believe is key to the success of the economy.
"Whilst this flow continues it is a win-win for everyone. But it is important to ensure that the right recruitment and retention policies are in place for employers to attract, identify and hold onto those individuals who will make the difference to their business."
