Revealed: Brexit voting areas have seen faster growth in foreign workers since EU referendum
A Guardian investigation reveals that areas which voted for Brexit have experienced a faster relative increase in foreign workers compared to the rest of the UK since 2016. Despite the political focus on reducing migration, these regions have seen their foreign-born workforce share grow significantly, often doubling in percentage terms.
Why it matters
The data highlights a disconnect between the political promises of the Brexit movement and the economic reality of labor demographics in Leave-voting strongholds.
Boris Johnson on the campaign trail for Vote Leave in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Boris Johnson on the campaign trail for Vote Leave in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Brexit Revealed: Brexit voting areas have seen faster growth in foreign workers since EU referendum Guardian investigation also finds same areas experienced relative decline over same period
The framing focuses on the irony of Brexit-voting areas experiencing the highest growth in foreign workers, a common narrative in progressive media to critique populist political outcomes.
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