Key facts
- Areas that voted to leave the EU have seen faster relative growth in foreign workers since the 2016 referendum.
- These same areas have become relatively more deprived over the same period.
- The analysis is based on government data.
- The findings highlight a complex economic and social shift in post-Brexit Britain.
- The departure from the EU has not led to a decrease in foreign labor in these specific regions.
- The trend suggests a change in the composition of foreign workers and a deepening of economic challenges in Brexit-voting areas.
Regions across the United Kingdom that voted in favor of leaving the European Union have experienced a more rapid relative growth in foreign workers since the 2016 referendum. This observation is derived from an analysis of government data, which also indicates that these same areas have become comparatively more deprived over the same timeframe. The findings suggest a nuanced impact of Brexit on labor markets and regional economies, contradicting expectations that leaving the EU would necessarily reduce the number of foreign workers in the UK. Instead, the data points to a shift in the patterns of immigration and an exacerbation of economic disparities in areas that supported Brexit. The analysis does not specify the nationalities of the foreign workers or the sectors they are employed in, but it underscores a significant demographic and economic trend in post-referendum Britain. The correlation between increased foreign worker growth and rising deprivation in these areas warrants further investigation into the underlying causes and potential policy implications.