The debate about Brexit’s impact on UK manufacturing has generated significant heat and relatively little light. At CHI, we have the advantage of ground-level data from hundreds of packaging executive placements per year. Here is what we are actually seeing in 2024.
The Senior Level Reality
At Director level and above, Brexit has had a paradoxically positive effect on domestic candidate supply in some areas. A number of senior European packaging executives who were based in the UK pre-Brexit chose to remain, and the UK continues to attract international executive talent — particularly from Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands — where salary differentials justify the move.
The more significant impact at senior level has been on outbound mobility: UK-based executives are somewhat less likely to accept roles in EU operations than they were pre-2020, citing uncertainty about long-term residence rights and the administrative complexity of cross-border tax arrangements.
Mid-Level: The Real Pressure Point
The more acute impact has been at Plant Manager and production management level, where the loss of free movement has reduced the available pool for operationally intensive roles in food-grade and pharmaceutical packaging environments. This has contributed to the salary pressure we are seeing at that level — demand is consistent, supply has contracted.