Changes to the UK’s immigration system could ‘further shrink’ the talent pool for hospitality businesses, creating greater labour shortages.
It comes after government plans to cut the levels of legal migration into the UK were revealed, with the salary thresholds for skilled workers to be increased to £38,700, up from £26,000.
Additionally, overseas care workers will be banned from bringing dependants, home secretary James Cleverly announced yesterday.
“The Government seem to be running out of answers to fix the UK’s long-running labour market shortages”, UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said.
“These changes will further shrink the talent pool that the entire economy will be recruiting from, and only worsen the shortages hospitality businesses are facing.
Nicholls noted that three-quarters of hospitality’s workforce is filled from within the UK but international talent has always been attracted to work in the UK, due to ”pedigree for hospitality and developing careers”.
”These critical workers also bring with them a wealth of experience and skills to help further enhance our world-leading hospitality sector.
She added that with 8,500 hospitality visas issued last year, helping to bring in talented chefs and managers of the future, around 95% of those would no longer be eligible under these plans, despite being offered competitive salaries.
“We urgently need to see an immigration system that is fit-for-purpose and reflects both the needs of business and the labour market. The system at the moment does none of that.”
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, described the move as a “blow” for the industry.
“The government’s changes to the immigration system will make the recruitment of skilled overseas workers harder and will be a blow for many pub businesses,” she said.
“This will compound the existing shortage of chefs and kitchen staff in hospitality, and hold back sector growth.”
“The salary increase will make it untenable for many businesses to recruit from overseas alongside the associated costs and complexities that apply alongside this,” she added.
