Rob Harris of Close Invoice Finance

New research published this week shows that despite the government’s calls to reduce the number of migrant workers, nearly one quarter of South West bosses rely on them to plug the skills gaps in their workforce.

According to the Close Business Barometer, independently commissioned and published by Close Invoice Finance, of the 29 per cent of employers who hire migrant workers 53 per cent hire them because they are best placed to do the job.

The Close Business Barometer reflects the findings of a recent poll of firms by Young Enterprise, which revealed that a growing number of British students are graduating without adequate or basic skills to join the workforce meaning businesses fill the gaps in their workforce with foreign workers.

Commenting on the findings, Rob Harris of Close Invoice Finance said:

“Our survey shows that in contrast to the comments made by the current government, migrant workers play, and will continue to play, a vital role in the UK economy. British companies need to attract the brightest and best talent in order to compete in the globalised economy and as our findings show, it isn’t about where the person comes from, it’s whether or not they have the skills to do the job.

“In the current economic climate businesses are struggling on many levels, not least in terms of cash flow and migrant workers offer many sectors a level of workforce flexibility to enable them to survive. At this crucial time any attempts by government to cap the numbers of workers available could add even more challenges to business.”

Employers in the South East of England make the most use of migrant workers with 39 per cent of companies employing foreign nationals, while in the North West of England migrant workers account for only 20 per cent of the workforce.

Close Invoice finance is based in the UK, Ireland and Germany. To contact them call free on: 0808 159 3586 or Email: salessupport@closeinvoice.co.uk