The UK
must attract more highly skilled migrant workers to support the
knowledge economy, says the Work Foundation.
In
a report, the foundation says the UK will need to attract
highly skilled workers from the European Union and outside it in
order to secure the future of "high technology, knowledge-intensive
industries".
The report says a combination of increasing demand for knowledge
workers - especially in IT, science, healthcare and technology
fields - skill shortages among employers, and an ageing population
means that policy-makers must do more to ensure the UK remains an
attractive place for highly skilled migrants to come to.
A climate of hostility towards immigration in general has the
potential to harm the ability of firms to attract skilled, talented
people from abroad, the report warns.