The UK is the seventh most attractive global location for skilled overseas workers, according to a new report.
One of the key reasons Tier 2 visa applicants are attracted to Britain is because of its lifestyle benefits, the Global Talent Competitiveness Index found.
The research, produced by the Adecco Group, INSEAD and the Human Capital Leadership Institute, looked at 109 countries which account for 97 per cent of international GDP. It considered 61 issues that affect a nation’s ability to attract, keep and develop skilled international workers.
This was the third year in a row that the UK took seventh place in the index for attracting skilled migrants. The table was topped by Switzerland with Singapore in second place and Luxembourg in third.
The UK was also ranked fourth in the table for overseas-owned businesses and was seventh for attracting international students.
Adecco group managing director, Alex Fleming, said that the index showed the UK was one of the world’s best at attracting skilled migrant workers to provide the talent necessary for a strong economy.
But she warned that the in-out vote in European Union membership could have repercussions on the UK’s strong position in the table.
“With the referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union looming, this report raises important considerations for policy makers and industry, particularly when it comes to labour mobility. ‘Brexit’ could hinder our ability to attract investment and top talent,” she said.
“The Index is clear: skilled foreign workers have helped to establish the UK as a world leader in research and entrepreneurship, yet at the same the lack of people – both British and foreign nationals – with vocational training and skills is holding Britain back. Government and businesses urgently need to find a strategy to correct this skills imbalance. Any such strategy must be facts-based and not guided by emotions.”