‘Brexodus’ fears shattered as number of EU workers in UK surges to record high

FEARS of a ‘Brexodus’ were dismissed yesterday after figures revealed the number of EU nationals working in the UK surged by 101,000 to a new record last year.

The Office for National Statistics said 2.35million EU citizens were employed at the end of December – led by an eight per cent, or 79,000 rise, in number of people from western Europe.

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The number of Romanians and Bulgarians working in Britain soared by 28 per cent to 364,000 – equal to the population of Coventry.

There was a 53,000 fall in other eastern Europeans from so-called ‘EU8’ nations– such as Poland or Hungary – to 961,000.

But Migration Watch insisted there was “no sign whatsoever of workers abandoning the UK” in light of the bombshell Referendum vote.

Migration Watch vice chair Alp Mehmet said: “Today’s figures show yet another increase in the number of EU migrant workers in the UK.

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“This illustrates the need for a major decrease in immigration and Brexit is the opportunity to achieve it.”

EU nationals accounted for just over 25 per cent of the net increase in employment in the UK last year – down from 50 per cent in 2016.

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But EU migrants working in Britain have accounted for largely all the increase in overseas workers in the past 20 years – from 928,000 to 3.52million.

Yesterday’s figures come amid growing fears from NHS Health Trusts, food giants and hospitality firms that eastern European workers are heading home - sparking staff shortages.

Experts claim that rather than the uncertainty caused by Brexit many went home because of the sharp fall in the Pound.