Leaving the EU and implementing stricter migration quotas could lead to a talent shortage in professional roles in UK business.
By analysing profiles on their website, Linkedin has said that a large pool of international talent will be lost.
The site’s data revealed that the other 27 states of the EU account for 40% of the country’s professional migration since January 2013. This figure dwarves other regions such as North America (17%) and Asia (14%).
Josh Graff, UK country manager at LinkedIn said: “There has always been a lot of debate about the impact of Brexit on blue-collar workers, but British businesses also face a very real white-collar skills gap that they need to start thinking about.
“Our findings are clear: UK companies need to prepare themselves for a more difficult talent market, and may want to start looking at how they can develop more talent at home, or cast the net further.”
The research also revealed that 61% of EU professional migrants held a masters degree – almost double the 34% of the UK’s professionals.
The professional services sector is the industry found to be most at risk, as EU workers were 50% more likely to be working in the sector than the general UK population.
Graff added: “If businesses are depending on talent from overseas to be competitive it is time for them to let the government know, so they can negotiate a settlement that can support Britain’s success. In turn we’re calling on government to ensure that maintain access to talent is one of the key priorities when negotiations begin.”