The charity workforce in post-Brexit Britain: Immigration and skills policy for the third sector

Article

The charity sector is far from immune from the effects of Brexit. As the UK leaves the EU and imposes restrictions on the free movement of people, parts of the charity sector – particularly social work and residential care – risk facing a ‘perfect storm’ of high employee churn, skills shortages, low pay, and increasing labour demand.

The number of EU nationals in the UK charity sector’s workforce has grown substantially over the past two decades, more than doubling from 14,000 to 31,000 since 2000. They are largely concentrated in sectors such as social work, residential care, education and membership organisations, and tend to be young and highly qualified. While EU nationals currently make up a small proportion of the total charity workforce – around 4 per cent – in some key parts of the sector, such as social care, there is to be expected growing labour demand in the coming years.


Related items

  1. Train and cars on a motorway with London skyline in background

    Planes, trains and automobiles: How green transport can drive manufacturing growth in the UK

    Transport is essential to our lives. Unfortunately, it is currently also the largest source of UK domestic carbon emissions. 

  2. Regional economies: The role of industrial strategy as a pathway to greener growth

    Regions like the North should have a key role to play in the development of a green industrial strategy.
  3. A mother and child walking in a field with hills in the distance

    Achieving the 2030 child poverty target: The distance left to travel

    On 27 March, the Scottish government will announce whether Scotland’s 2023 child poverty target – no more than 18 per cent of children in poverty – was achieved.