Number of EU nationals working in the UK has plunged by 16 per cent since start of pandemic

The number of overseas workers from outside the EU also fell by 65,000

(AFP via Getty Images)

The number of EU nationals working in the UK has plunged by 16 per cent since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, official figures revealed today.

The Office for National Statistics said that an estimated 1.87 million citizens of European Union countries were working here between July and September this year, down 364,000 on the equivalent period the previous year.

The number of overseas workers from outside the EU also fell by 65,000 – representing a five per cent fall – to 1.29 million.

But the statisticians said the number of Britons in work “remained stable” during the period at 29.35 million.

They added that the “significant disruption to worldwide travel” caused by the coronavirus pandemic was a key factor in the changes, but did not offer more detailed explanation.

The figures appear to suggest, however, that the major impact of the coronavirus restrictions on sectors such as hospitality, which have traditionally employed many Europeans, are likely to have resulted in many either returning home or failing to come here because of limited opportunities and the prospect of quarantine.

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