The UK is falling behind other Western countries in attracting highly skilled foreign workers as new visa rules and Brexit repercussions challenge employers, research suggests.
About a fifth of those using Indeed to look for work in Britain were from abroad, compared with more than a third in France and the Netherlands, the jobs website found.
An analysis of 10 countries showed the UK had the second lowest percentage of "clicks" from foreign workers, with only Spain having fewer.
Two in five overseas workers looking for jobs in Britain were for the lowest-paid vacancies, the report said.
Brexit has added complexity to the UK's immigration policies, with a new points-based visa system making it more challenging for employers to hire foreign workers, including EU citizens, Indeed said.
Under the new rules anyone coming to the UK for work must meet a specific set of requirements for which they will score points. Visas are then issued to those who gain enough points.
A survey of 1,500 UK employees and companies showed that employers were torn as to whether Brexit will help or hinder them from hiring talent from outside the UK.
Pawel Adrjan, of Indeed, said: "Countries stand to gain by enhancing their attractiveness to meet the changing needs of their labour markets and to remain competitive in a global context of increased mobility among highly skilled professionals.
"Indeed data shows that while there's been a surge in foreign interest in UK roles, the country falls behind other Western nations in attracting highly skilled workers, which is at odds with the Government's current immigration policy.
"As borders become less relevant for workers, businesses and states must offer not only competitive salaries but also attractive living conditions, high-performing healthcare and education systems, and political and economic stability.
"Our research shows that although 35 per cent of employers identified legal red tape as a significant challenge to hiring workers from outside the UK, 41 per cent agree that current immigration policies will support their efforts to recruit workers from abroad.
"The large rise in searches for UK jobs from abroad in recent years suggests there is a pool of candidates ready to fill those roles."
Official figures showed tens of thousands fewer applications for visas for these categories.
The decline puts the Government on track with its pledge to cut levels of immigration to the UK.
But it also raised concerns over possible worse staff shortages in care homes and parts of the NHS and of fresh blows to the finances of many universities across the country which have significant numbers of foreign students.
