Statistics suggest that the UK hospitality industry is dependant on foreign workers

by XPRESS, 20 December 2018

The extent to which the hospitality industry relies on foreign workers, particularly in the restaurant sector and in pubs, has been highlighted by new research. The findings by software provider Fourth revealed that as of November 2018, more than two-fifths (42%) of staff in the industry were from the EU, while 10% came from the rest of the world. The percentage of British workers was down from 50% in July to 48%. However, the numbers spike significantly for quick service restaurants, with almost two-thirds (65%) of workers coming from outside the UK – 54.5% from the EU and 10.5% from the rest of the world. While the reliance on foreign workers remains high, there has been a significant influx of UK workers to the sector, rising 8% since September. On the other hand, the restaurant industry’s reliance on foreign workers is increasing further, particularly in skilled back-of-house roles. In July, almost one-third (30%) of restaurant workers in back-of-house roles were from the UK but this number has now fallen to 26%, with EU workers climbing from 58% in July to 62% in November. As rest of the world workers account for 12% of the workforce, almost three-quarters (74%) of workers are from outside the UK. From a regional perspective, the hospitality industry’s reliance on EU workers is significantly exacerbated in London, with more than half (52%) of the workforce from the EU. Northern Ireland (46%) and east England (45%) also rely heavily on EU workers. New EU entrants to the industry fell from 41.5% in July to 38.5% in September. The statistics for November, however, reveal this has now reverted to 44%. The driving force behind the growth has been an influx of seasonal workers to the pub industry. During the past four months, the make-up of the pub workforce has remained relatively flat, with 78% of workers from the UK, 17% from the EU and 5% from the rest of the world. However, November saw a marked increase in the proportion of EU workers in the pub industry, with figures altering to 68% from the UK, 26% from the EU and 6% from the rest of the world. Fourth said these figures directly correlate to a surge of EU workers seen in June, suggesting seasonal workers from the EU support the pub trade when it enters a busy period. In August and September there was a surge in new starters from the UK, with figures rising to 54.5% in September from 52% in July. November figures show this trend has also reverted, with 47% of new starters coming from the UK and 8.5% from the rest of the world. The number of UK workers leaving the industry fell to 48% in November after rising to 55.5% in September. Meanwhile, the number of EU workers leaving the industry increased to 42% in November after falling to 37.5% in September, while leavers from the rest of the world increased slightly to 8.5% in November, up from 7% in September. Mike Shipley, analytics and insight solutions director at Fourth, said: “This further reveals our industry’s reliance on foreign workers, particularly in the restaurant and quick service restaurant sectors, as well as back-of-house roles. Among the many challenges our industry faces, people are often listed as the biggest concern and ensuring a pragmatic immigration system after Brexit, along with a conscious, combined and concerted effort to attract young UK talent into the industry, is imperative.”

Article Credit: Propel