The REC says recruiters will continue to play a crucial part in helping UK businesses find appropriate staff, considering March’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report.

The MAC’s ‘EEA workers in the UK labour market: interim update’ report is part of a review assessing the impact of Brexit on the UK labour market.

It says businesses are concerned about their ability to recruit workers from the European Union after Britain leaves the EU.

UK employers also see EU workers as “more reliable” and eager than their British counterparts, the report said.

The REC’s director of policy Tom Hadley says he is pleased the report contains a strong employer voice.

“It’s important that the debate isn’t just about engineers and doctors, but acknowledges that we need people to pick our fruit and veg, cook and serve in our hotels, and look after people in our care homes,” he says.

“Our own data, for example, has shown staffing challenges are accelerating across a range of sectors from IT and financial services, through to hospitality, construction and logistics. Employers are already finding it hard to secure the workers they need and we haven’t left the EU yet.”

The report has also been welcomed by others in the labour market. CIPD senior market analyst Gerwyn Davies congratulated the MAC for a “rational, evidence-based” report.

“Looking ahead, we hope that the MAC and the Government see the merit in a labour shortage occupation list. Under this arrangement, employers would have to show that they are making efforts to improve the supply of UK workers while demonstrating that the occupation has a genuine labour or skill shortage.

“This more selective approach to controlling unskilled or low-skilled migration from the EU could potentially act as a catalyst for improving employer practice and enable most organisations to meet their labour and skills needs,” he says.

You can read more about how the REC is supporting members during Brexit negotiations at www.rec.uk.com/brexit