Plummeting EU immigration knocks logistics sector

The FTA has reported that logistics businesses are struggling to find workers, as the number of EU nationals immigrating to the UK continues to plummet.

The organisation which speaks on behalf of the logistics sector, is asking the government to recognise the UK’s reliance on EU workers, and to amend its future immigration policy to welcome European workers to the UK post-Brexit.

According to the FTA’s Logistics Skills Report 2019, declining EU net migration contributed to a 43 per cent rise in job vacancies in the transport and storage industry over the past 24 months.

Sally Gilson, Head of Skills Campaigns at FTA, said: “The logistics sector is facing serious challenges in the recruitment and retention of labour: 59,000 HGV drivers alone are urgently needed to keep just to keep operations afloat.

The logistics sector is the lifeblood of the nation’s economy, contributing £124 billion gross value added (GVA); without adequate levels of staff, operations will come crashing to a halt and businesses will cease trading.”

By Michelle Mooney