According to data from hiring platform Indeed, the UK is falling behind other large Western countries when it comes to attracting highly skilled foreign workers – with only 21% of foreign clicks on UK jobs on roles which offer the upper third of wages – between £35,200 and £91,000 per annum. 

While France and the Netherlands stand out as 36% and 35% of foreign clicks are on the upper third of the salary distribution, the UK attracts the second lowest share, only behind Spain among the advanced economies analysed. 39% of foreign clicks for UK jobs are for the lowest-paid jobs. The relatively low proportion of clicks on postings in high-wage occupations in the UK contrasts with the aim of the current immigration policy to focus on attracting high-skilled foreign workers.

The UK’s limited success in attracting jobseekers for the highest-paying roles becomes clear when looking at the job categories experiencing the strongest growth in foreign interest. Food preparation and service jobs accounted for almost 9% of foreign clicks in the first half of 2024 – the highest of any job category. Retail jobs also made up 5.7% of foreign clicks, with education, management and software development roles rounding out the top 5 job categories with the biggest growth in interest. Indian jobseekers are the most interested in UK roles, with other candidates originating mainly from Pakistan, Spain, France and the United States; a mix of EU and non-EU countries.

Foreign jobseeker interest in UK jobs rises 

Despite the UK struggling to attract highly skilled workers from abroad, overall foreign interest in UK jobs remains strong. International searches for jobs accounted for 4.9% of total searches in July 2024, a 54% increase compared to pre-Brexit and pre-pandemic share of 3.2% in 2019. This is even greater than foreign interest in jobs in the European Union, which has risen 29% to 3.1% of total searches from 2.4% in 2019. 

However, Brexit has added complexity to the UK’s immigration policies, with a new points-based system making it more challenging for employers to hire foreign workers, including EU citizens. Indeed’s survey of 1522 UK employees and employers, carried out in August 2024, shows employers are torn as to whether Brexit will help or hinder them from hiring talent from outside of the UK – 35% think it will help, and 33% think it will hinder them. 

Brits seek a better lifestyle – and more income –  abroad

On the other side of the coin, Brits have a keen interest in living and working in another country – with 62% saying they would work abroad. Despite this, many UK employers are not fully equipped to manage international working arrangements. Nearly half (47%) of workers say their company does not allow overseas work, and 2 in 5 (42%) employers don’t have a specific working abroad policy in place, highlighting a potential gap between employee interest and employer preparedness.

An overwhelming sentiment among Brits is that their lifestyle will improve if they migrate out of the UK. The primary motivation for workers looking for jobs abroad is the prospect of a better quality of life (54%), followed by improved weather (33%) and lower living costs (32%). 64% also believe working abroad would provide a better work-life balance. 

But it’s not just lifestyle factors that are causing Brits to look at foreign roles. Workers also feel their prospects will improve as half say there are more career opportunities outside of the UK and 54% believe their income would increase –  1 in 5 (20%) strongly agree with this. 

Small countries with a high standard of living attract foreign jobseekers 

Data from Indeed’s platform found that small countries that are economically open and offer a high standard of living attract a much larger proportion of foreign jobseekers. Luxembourg attracts the most foreign candidates relative to the size of its labour market, with 77% of job searches coming from abroad. Other countries that made the top 5 most attractive destinations for foreign jobseekers – in order of share of foreign searches – include, Oman (55%), Kuwait (45%), Switzerland (44%) and Qatar (36%).

Pawel Adrjan, Director, EMEA & APAC Economic Research at Indeed, commented: “Countries stand to gain by enhancing their attractiveness to meet the changing needs of their labour markets and to remain competitive in a global context of increased mobility among highly skilled professionals. Indeed data shows that while there’s been a surge in foreign interest in UK roles, the country falls behind other Western nations in attracting highly skilled workers, which is at odds with the government’s current immigration policy. 

“As borders become less relevant for workers, businesses and states must offer not only competitive salaries but also attractive living conditions, high-performing healthcare and education systems, and political and economic stability. Immigration policies must align with these efforts. Our research shows that although 35% of employers identified legal red tape as a significant challenge to hiring workers from outside the UK, 41% agree that current immigration policies will support their efforts to recruit workers from abroad. The large rise in searches for UK jobs from abroad in recent years suggests there is a pool of candidates ready to fill those roles.”