The UK’s immigration laws must be relaxed if the UK is to find people with the skills it needs, according to the chief executive of Hays.

Speaking at the launch of Hays’ Manifesto for Employment in London yesterday, Alistair Cox said that the current approach of “let’s cut immigration from non-EU countries” wasn’t working because it did not reflect proven skill shortages.

Cox said that Hays currently had thousands of unfilled NHS vacancies in the South-East.

“There is a stake choice, said Cox. “Either we allow targeted immigration of people with certain skills, or we accept a worse health service.”

Cox said that given the international nature of the labour market for health professionals “We have to be able to tap into the global market place for skills.”

Cox also highlighted acute skills shortages in engineering, science and maths, where he said around about 775,000 jobs are expected to be created in the next four to five years.

Cox pointed out that despite extra government funding, the maximum number of graduates with the type of skills necessary who could enter the workforce over that period was 160,000.

“The economy is going to be held back because there is such an acute shortage in this area.

 “We have to be able to tap into the global market place for skills.”