Las spanish companies have shown their concern about the difficulties those they face when it comes to hire qualified personnel in it United Kingdom and due to the lack of incentives in the training of workers. A situation that has led the main investors to demand new mobility agreements with the European Union that facilitate the arrival of workers to the country and respond to the current lack of labor. The difficulty in hiring personnel is the second factor that is having the greatest impact on Spanish businesses, according to the barometer published this Tuesday by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom, but for now the Labor Executive has shown little willingness to reach out on this matter.
“The mobility remains a problem and it looks like it will continue to be that way for a while, but still can be streamlined and facilitated some elements. This is something that companies and investors in specialized markets will value,” said the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Eduardo Barrachinaat the presentation of the annual report in London. Both the second vice president and Minister of Labor, Yolanda Diazlike the Minister of Economy, Carlos Bodyalready expressed their concerns on this matter to their British counterparts on recent visits to London.
On this occasion it was the Secretary of State for Commerce, Amparo López Senovillawho has once again put mobility on the table in a meeting held this Tuesday with his British counterpart. “It is a topic that obviously we are concernedthey are also aware of this concern. All issues related to immigration are sensitive issues and, therefore, must be dealt with in a broader context than the purely commercial one, but it is evidently an issue of interest to both governments and we hope to find a solution“Senovilla said after the meeting.
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The prime minister, Keir Starmerhas insisted since his arrival at Downing Street last July on his intention to restore relations with Brusselsvery deteriorated after Brexit. A position that is part of the British Government’s strategy to reinforce investments in the United Kingdom and accelerate the long-awaited economic growth. The victory of Donald Trump in the elections in the United States and its protectionist threats have put even more focus on the need to achieve new trade agreements with the EUbut for now Starmer has shown few signs of wanting to close youth mobility programs as compensation.
The British Secretary of State for Trade, Douglas Alexanderhas once again insisted on the United Kingdom’s willingness to improve trade relations with the community club, the main destination for British exports. Alexander has assured that he understands the concerns of Spanish companies, but far from opening the door to the arrival of European workers, he has focused on the skill development and competencies in the national labor market. “It is fair to say that these needs are not being met at this time. That is why this summer we launched the program ‘Skills England’which will bring together administrations, businesses, trainers and unions to meet this challenge in the next decade,” he remarked.
Investments on the rise
Despite the difficulties, the investment volume Spanish in the United Kingdom is giving recovery samples behind him Brexit. According to the Chamber of Commerce barometer, the flow of direct investment has multiplied by 12 in the first half of this year, compared to the same period of the previous year, with special presence of the telecommunications sector, the real estate market and of air transport. The United Kingdom represents the 14.5% of direct investment stock (FDI) from Spain – the second largest destination after the United States –, reaching 79.5 billion euros in 2022. Investments that have contributed to generating and maintain 133,000 jobs in the country, 75,910 of them direct.
