Almost half, or 47%, of highly skilled EU workers, could leave the UK within the next five years, according to a new report from Deloitte.

The report, ‘Power Up: The UK Workplace’, is based on a survey of more than 2,000 non-British workers and wider research around the future of the UK workplace.

Further findings from the report show that Brexit has shifted perceptions among non-British workers. For those based outside the UK, 21% now find the UK less attractive, compared to 48% for those based in the UK.

Meanwhile, overall, 36% of non-British workers based in the UK are considering leaving in the next five years. The survey also shows that 58% of non-British workers in the UK said it would be difficult or very difficult to find a British worker to replace them.

The report suggests that the UK could be faced with a potential skills shortage as “high-skill workers are most mobile and therefore in the short term there is likely to be a greater pressure to fill these vacancies.”

“The UK remains a highly attractive place to work for people from around the world,” David Sproul, Senior Partner and Chief Executive of Deloitte North West Europe, said. “Despite political and economic uncertainties, more people are attracted to live and work in the UK than anywhere else in the world.”

“The UK’s cultural diversity, employment opportunities and quality of life are assets that continue to attract the world’s best and brightest people. But overseas workers, especially those from the EU, tell us they are more likely to leave the UK than before. That points to a short to medium term skills deficit that can be met in part by upskilling our domestic workforce but which would also benefit from an immigration system that is attuned to the needs of the economy,” Sproul said.

The report recommends that the UK create a new immigration system that recognises the personal choices of international talent. It also recommends that the UK invest further to upskill both current and future worker and embrace digital and invest in the deployment of technology to automate repetitive tasks as well as work at a regional level to create an appropriate local response.