General · 20 June 2026
Brexit areas see foreign worker numbers rise faster
This trend challenges expectations for many Leave voters, as these areas also became relatively more deprived. A Guardian investigation using government data found non-UK workers grew fastest in percentage terms between 2016 and late 2024. For example, Wigan's non-UK workforce nearly doubled from under 5% in 2016 to almost 10% by 2024.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs