Politics · 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.

By BriefTea Editorial · 20 June 2026 at 19:23

Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs

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