Revealed: Brexit voting areas have seen faster growth in foreign workers since EU referendum

Foreign workforce growth

Data analysis by The Guardian shows that areas that voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum have seen a faster percentage increase in non-UK workers since then compared to Remain-voting areas. For instance, in Wigan, foreign workers made up less than 5% of payrolled employees in June 2016, increasing to nearly 10% by December 2024 – more than doubling. Nationally, the share of foreign workers rose by only 40% over the same period.

While Remain areas – often larger cities – still have higher absolute numbers of foreign workers, the relative growth has been most striking in Leave strongholds. Anand Menon, director of The UK in a Changing Europe, noted that the pace of change can be more politically salient than total numbers.

Deprivation trends

The Guardian also analysed government deprivation data, revealing that between 2015 and 2025, the strongest Remain seats in England – such as Bristol Central, Clapham and Brixton Hill, and Cambridge – experienced the largest improvements. In contrast, Leave-voting areas like Boston and Skegness, Hartlepool, and North Warwickshire became relatively more deprived over the same period.

Expert caution

Menon warned against attributing all changes to Brexit. He said that more affluent areas with higher-skilled workforces have always been more resilient, and factors like Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and manufacturing challenges have disproportionately affected less prosperous regions, many of which voted Leave.