An incredible 98.5 percent of searches by Indeed’s UK users looked for jobs in Britain – the highest level in any EU country. Based on cross-border job searches, de facto Brexit may already have taken place. UK employers in strong position when it comes to attracting international talent.

The percentage of Europeans seeking work in Britain significantly outstrips the percentage of Britons looking for jobs in mainland Europe, according to new research by the world’s biggest jobs site, Indeed. The research report, Europe on the Move, analysed tens of millions of searches by job seekers in EU15 countries*, including the UK. It found that, among those looking for work in a foreign country, Britain was consistently the first choice. And it was the first choice by quite some distance: in fact, the UK receives nearly three times more interest from EU job seekers than either of the next two most popular destinations – Germany and France (see table, below). 

Table: United Kingdom is the Most Desirable Country for EU15 Job Seekers

(Top countries by inbound share of EU15 cross-border job search)

By contrast, Britons seem reluctant to work in mainland Europe, with just 15 percent of those Brits who are looking for work overseas choosing to search in the EU. This is less than half the comparable figures for job hunters in the Eurozone’s two biggest economies, Germany (36 percent) and France (37 percent) — and considerably less than all other EU15 countries (see table, below). 

Table: The most EU-oriented job seekers

(Percentage of searches by domestic workers looking to work abroad in other EU15 countries)

The freedom of movement of workers has always been at the heart of the European Union, but this research suggests that among British job hunters an attitude of “Splendid Isolation” persists**. Indeed’s data showed that an incredible 98.5 percent of searches by UK users looked for jobs in Britain — the highest level in any EU country. Mariano Mamertino, economist at the global job site, Indeed, comments: “Freedom of movement has always been one of the EU’s central tenets but according to this research, Europe is delivering the UK one-way traffic. It’s very clear that the average Briton is considerably less likely to want to work in Europe than the average European wants to work in Britain. In the 19th Century, Britain pursued a foreign policy of splendid isolation and, based on this evidence, the isolationist mindset appears to be as strong as ever today.” 

He continues: “While UK firms may be in a stronger position than their European counterparts when it comes to attracting international talent, this situation may not last forever. Any policy that restricts the mobility of the EU workforce could negatively affect many UK employers who have historically relied on a steady flow of international talent to fill open positions.”