Almost all (98.5%) searches by Indeed’s UK users looked for jobs in Britain, the highest level in any EU country, according to the job site’s Europe on the Move report.
Britons appear reluctant to work in mainland Europe, with just 15% of those looking for work overseas choosing to search in the EU.
When it came to job hunters from overseas looking for positions in the UK the US generated the most traffic, followed by India, Ireland, France and Australia. When tracking the top 20 keywords used by jobseekers from these top five countries the research found high incidences of keywords such as 'care assistant', 'nurse' or 'NHS' – all associated with sectors currently experiencing talent shortages.
Top reasons for considering a foreign work assignment among both UK and non-UK jobseekers were: broadening personal experience (chosen by 65%), acquiring work experience (also 65%), and better career opportunities (59%). Almost half (47%) wished to learn a new language, and 53% were motivated by the challenge of living in a different country.
Overall one in three individuals (34%) from an EU15 country (one of the original 15 members of the EU) searching for a job abroad were looking in another EU15 country, but the searches were not evenly split. Three-quarters (75%) of this traffic went to the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. At the lower end, 16% was split almost evenly between Spain, Italy and Ireland.
Though the survey made clear the preference of UK jobseekers to stay at home, Mariano Mamertino, an economist at Indeed, warned that disrupting the ability of foreign workers to come to the UK could negatively impact Britain’s businesses.
“While UK firms may be in a stronger position than their European counterparts when it comes to attracting international talent this situation may not last forever," he said. "Any policy that restricts the mobility of the EU workforce could negatively affect many UK employers who have historically relied on a steady flow of international talent to fill open positions."
