Strengthening the Workforce
The contribution of EU workers
Out of the 166,000 people that work in the UK plastics industry, around 18,000 are EU citizens and 4,000 are from the rest of the world.
Of the EU citizens working in the industry, one in five are in high-skilled positions and just over half are in low-skilled roles.
In fact, out of the entire UK plastics industry, one in five shop floor workers are from the EU (over 10,000).
Distribution of EU workers by role in the UK plastics industry
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The role of temporary workers
Over half of UK plastics companies rely on recruiting workers on a temporary basis during busy periods and a quarter have stated that they would like any new immigration policy to help them meet short-term, temporary needs.
Concerns of the plastics industry
Two-thirds of UK plastics companies are currently having difficulty recruiting staff. This is a significant increase.
Prior to the referendum, only half were experiencing difficulties recruiting.
* Note: ‘EU worker’ refers to a non-UK EU worker
(Sources: An overview of all sources can be seen HERE)
Download 'Strengething the Workforce: The Role of EU Workers in the UK Plastics Industry'
For further information about the BPF's activities in this area contact:
Tel: +44 (0)20 7457 5047
For a complete overview of the UK plastics sector, the government-supported BPF document The UK Plastics Industry: A Strategic Vision for Growth downloaded at www.bpf.co.uk/strategy
The Role of EU Workers in the Plastics Industry
This BPF survey was conducted in April 2017 from amongst our members. It provides a unique insight into the role EU workers play in the UK plastics industry and provided much of the data for Strengthening the Workforce.
