Skilled temporary agency workers could be lost due to immigration cap

Boris Johnson has voiced his concerns over the non-EU immigration cap and its affect on the economy.

The Conservative mayor of London is so worried that he has personally contacted home secretary, Theresa May in an attempt to find a solution to the issue.

The Government has pledged to cut net immigration to tens of thousands from next April by introducing the cap, designed to decrease the number of non skilled workers heading to the UK.

But with the number of skilled workers also to be included within the cap, the fear is that the best people for certain jobs are being denied the opportunity to fulfill roles.

Both permanent and temporary agency worker positions are equally as vulnerable in the shake up and with temporary roles within businesses proving to be a key and successful strategy at present, the lack of temporary agency workers available in a dwindling job pool could have a detrimental affect on the economy.

Matthew Sanders, CEO of de Poel, the UK’s largest procurer of temporary agency labour, has already spotted the danger signs. He said: “The Government is looking to improve opportunities for UK workers, but all that seems to be happening is that clients are worried about the lack of suitable workers to fill vital jobs.

“The UK’s economy is so diverse. We have the Care industry, which requires 1000’s of dedicated professionals to work incredibly unsociable hours and demanding work; construction workers that are hard working, dedicated and multi skilled; even logistics workers who are often away for weeks at a time.

“A simple ‘cap’ on immigrations is a black and white solution to what is an ultimately grey area.”

Intra-company transfers - the "tier two" process which allows multinational firms to move their own staff in and out of the UK - were not included in the temporary cap and business leaders have already warned that restrictions could be damaging.

They argue that transfers have no affect on overall migration because the workers either replace someone or leave after completing their contract.