British firms will be required to advertise posts in UK Jobcentres for a month before recruiting from overseas, under changes announced by Home Secretary Alan Johnson, to afford UK workers a better chance of finding employment.

Speaking to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in London, Johnson said that the qualification eligibility period for skilled foreign workers recruited by multinational companies is also set to rise from six months to a year.

Currently, jobs have to be advertised in the UK for only a week before being offered abroad.