The Brexit countdown, after nearly four years, finally came to an end when we left the EU on 31st January. Britain has benefited over the years, from continued membership of the single market and customs union, with British citizens retaining the right to freedom of movement around Europe.

The transition period has now brought widespread changes for British businesses and citizens. This is where the new chapter in the country’s relationship with its neighbouring countries now begins. The referendum, which happened in 2016, has led to over four years of guessing. This means many companies have struggled to plan for the future due to Brexit. A study from the University of Leuven, which was published in June 2019, predicted job losses in the UK could be around 140,000 for a soft Brexit and 526,000 for a hard Brexit. Due to predictions and the unknown, several companies have gone bust or moved their bases away from Britain altogether. For example, Barclays Bank has moved £166 billion worth of assets to Ireland and has created 150 new jobs in Dublin, Ireland while in the process, rather than the UK. 

Not only will Brexit have an impact on your job stability but you must also take into consideration the Covid-19 pandemic, which is currently interfering with the UK job market. Three lockdowns in and the UK are still spiralling jobs into redundancies and instability however, we are only a few months in 2021. It is hard to see the true impact of Brexit but, if the economy is negatively affected by Brexit, companies will be less likely to hire, which means fewer job opportunities and overall, tougher competition for even minor roles. The ManpowerGroup surveyed 2,101 UK employers and found out that hiring confidence, in December 2019, was at its lowest for seven years. Could this be due to the uncertainty around Brexit? Additionally, the research revealed that hiring intentions for the first quarter of 2020 were down to 2% - the lowest since 2012. Chris Gray, director of ManpowerGroup said: “Employers want certainty before they can make investment decisions and firm up hiring plans.” 

In addition to UK employment, EU nationals may find it harder to become employed in the UK too. Anyone who is a non-UK citizen wishing to start work in the UK will need to apply for ‘European Temporary Leave to Remain’. Click here to find the form on Gov.UK’s website. Also, from now any applications will be approved based on a ‘skills-based immigration system’, much like what Australia has in place. Want to know more about how this could affect you? Click here to read more about the new immigration system.

Summary

To summarise, we have only just officially left the EU, so it is hard to tell whether the job market and economy will suffer greatly. Many recruiters suggest that there could be a job shortage and worry about hiring as a result of Covid-19 and Brexit. However, if you are worried about being employed, you are an employer or are struggling to get a job,- there are ways of protecting yourself simply by pre-planning and making sure you’re ahead of the curve.

Save time, save money, plan well. Here at Planwell Recruitment, we offer great employment opportunities for employees and can provide the best candidates for employers. If you’re looking for a production, distribution or logistics job or applicant, you’ve come to the right place! 

We build relationships based on trust, honesty and recruitment expertise that meets the staffing needs of our existing and future clients across London, Kent and Essex. Planwell Recruitment specialises in recruiting staff on a temporary, contract and permanent basis. Your time is valuable and you need someone who cares as much about your business as you do. Click here to browse our current vacancies. Please get in contact with us here if you would like to find out more about how we can help with your hiring process.