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UK – Brexit study finds employee confidence falling

27 December 2016

Six months since Britain voted to leave the European Union, employee confidence levels are starting to wane as the process continues, according to Glassdoor’s new Brexit report, commissioned as an extension of its UK Employment Confidence Survey. The report found fewer than a third of UK employees, 29%, are confident that the UK government will be able to negotiate a good trade deal once Article 50 is triggered.

The Brexit Report evaluated employee confidence in the government, their jobs and companies, and if employees would consider leaving the UK due to Brexit. In addition, the Glassdoor report studied employee sentiment throughout various geographic locations in the UK.

When analysing the data by region, only 26% of those from the Midlands, 25% of employees in the North East and 23% in the South East have any confidence that the UK government can negotiate a good deal for British businesses. The South West region maintains the highest level of confidence, but still relatively low at 38%. This compares to 26% in London. Of those who are currently unemployed and looking for work, 41% lack faith in the government’s negotiation skills, the highest of all employment types.

Employee confidence — in terms of Brexit’s impact on jobs and companies — remains reasonably stable at this point with little impact cited. Only 24% of the UK population claim they are concerned with how Brexit might affect their company, and more than half, 54%, believe it won’t impact their individual jobs at all.

Just under a third of Londoners, 28%, would consider leaving the UK to work in another European country post-Brexit, compared to just 16% for the UK as a whole. Those in the Midlands and South West would be least inclined to leave, at just 10% in both regions. According to the report, 35% are concerned that Brexit will have a negative impact on their company and 27% feel that the referendum result has made them want to get another job.

However, when asked how leaving the EU could affect specific jobs, only 8% in the Midlands and 10% in the North East felt that Brexit would affect their specific jobs in a positive manner. The UK gig economy has grown in recent years, but 65% of those in part-time work believe Brexit will have an adverse effect on their levels of business.

The Q3 2016 survey of 2,028 people, 902 of whom are employed full-time/part-time, was conducted online within Great Britain by Harris Interactive on behalf of Glassdoor from Sept. 19 to Sept. 23.