With one year until Brexit, construction employers in the UK are praising the quality of their EU workers and encouraging them to stay, according to the Federation of Master Builders.

The key findings from the FMB’s research on how the bosses of SME construction firms view their EU workers includes: 94 per cent of firms describe the quality of EU workers they employ as ‘good’ or ‘very good’; 85 per cent of construction SME employers that employ EU workers say that these workers are important in allowing their business to maintain and expand its workforce; and 76 per cent of these firms say it would have a negative impact on the health of their business if any of the EU workers they employ returned to their country of origin, now or post-Brexit.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “With a year to go until ‘Brexit Day’, our research demonstrates the extent to which the UK construction industry values its EU workers.

"More than 90 per cent of firms describe the quality of their EU workers as 'good' or 'very good'. What’s more, three-quarters of firms that employ EU workers think it would have a negative impact on the health of their business if these individuals returned to their country of origin, now or post-Brexit.

"The UK construction sector is more reliant than most on migrant workers from Europe – at present, nine per cent of our construction workers are from the EU. In London, this rises for nearly one third. Given the severity of the skills shortages we already face, retaining these workers is business-critical.”