UK businesses told to expect workforce crisis after Brexit

Employment consultant says growth in number of workers will nosedive and urges companies to invest in young people

British businesses have been warned to brace for a severe workforce crisis triggered by Brexit, with the number of workers entering employment expected to fall behind the rate of population growth for the first time in half a century.

According to employment consultant Mercer, the size of the British workforce is expected to rise by just 820,000 by 2025, marking a dramatic slowdown from the previous decade, when almost 2 million people entered employment.

Related: Net migration of EU nationals to Britain falls by 75,000