A far-reaching study of more than 500 UK employers has found that almost half (47 per cent) of British businesses are unprepared for lower levels of migration after Brexit.
The survey which was carried out by ComRes in collaboration with the Resolution Foundation, also found a ‘huge gap’ between the kind of immigration system UK businesses are anticipating once Britain leaves the European Union (EU), and the actual plans as outlined by the new Government.
The figures also come less than a month after a separate study from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that approximately 72 per cent of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) currently employ EU talent.
Torsten Bell, director of the Resolution Foundation, has said: “As the fall-out from the General Election rumbles on, the new Government will need to be making fast preparations for [imminent] Brexit negotiations.
“But it’s not just Government that needs to step up preparation for Brexit.
“Many British firms are totally unprepared for this change, particularly when it comes to migration.
“Ministers have compounded this uncertainty by choosing not to answer questions over what a post-Brexit immigration regime might be,” he said.
The Resolution Foundation has argued that the new Government must do its upmost to ensure a ‘smooth transition’ towards a lower migration in the post-Brexit labour market.