Britain’s workforce has little optimism for employment post-Brexit

Personal Group, the technology-enabled employee services business, today reveals that Britain’s workforce are increasingly concerned with Brexit’s potential impact on their employment.

The data shows that with just one month to go, more than a third (34.25%) of UK residents believe that Brexit would affect their current employment in a negative way, an increase of nearly 4% (+3.82%) when compared to survey results from 2018. Only a negligible 3% of respondents think that Brexit will positively affect their current employment.

Drilling down into the data also reveals some interesting gender, age and professional nuances: Since February 2018, 12 times as many men than women have become more concerned about the impact on Brexit on their current employment: In February 2019 the number of men who believe Brexit will affect their employment negatively increased by almost 8% (7.89%) compared to a less than 1% (0.63%) rise amongst women.

Interestingly, whilst some direct employees have become a little more positive regarding Brexit’s effect on their employment (+0.53%), contactors and those who are self-employed feel much more negative about it this year than back in 2018. When asked ‘How do you think Brexit will affect your current employment?’ the results captured just last month showed an increase of more than 50% amongst contractors expecting a negative impact than in 2018, and a 33% increase in those who are self-employed expecting a negative impact.

Finally, when split by age, the over 50’s remain the largest group in employment who expect no change at all post Brexit – almost 30% (29.14%) – although this has reduced from 35% in 2018. All age groups of employees have seen an increase in expecting Brexit to have a negative impact on their current employment. Those aged 18-29 are leading this with a 22% increase, 7% more 30-49-year olds and 18% more over 50s in 2019, all believe that Brexit will bring negative outcomes for their current employment.

Deborah Frost, CEO at Personal Group commented: “The results of our research clearly show that the current political environment has created an added level of uncertainty amongst UK workers around their employment prospects. Employers want to retain the confidence and enthusiasm of their employees. Offering recognition and being able to communicate directly with employees, wherever they are based, is key in building motivation and engagement, and emerging from this tricky period with the employee team’s morale intact”

Personal Group surveyed 1644 people in the UK running from 7th to 21st February 2018. A follow-up survey was undertaken in 2019 which surveyed 1551 people running from 11^th to 22nd February 2019.