BRITISH employers are having to raise their pay offers to hire new staff and counter a growing shortage of European Union workers ahead of Brexit, a group representing recruitment firms said yesterday.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said its monthly survey showed starting salaries rose in October at the second-quickest rate since November 2015.

“We already know that EU workers are leaving because of the uncertainties they are facing right now,” REC chief executive Kevin Green said.

“We therefore need clarity around what future immigration systems will look like. Otherwise, the situation will get worse and employers will face even more staff shortages.”

Britain’s official statistics agency said in August that net migration fell to its lowest level in three years with more than half the drop caused by European Union citizens leaving and fewer arriving since the Brexit vote. (SD-Agencies)