The government's chief immigration adviser claimed this week that there is "no evidence" that the immigration cap on skilled workers is harming the UK economy.

It had been feared that the annual limit on non-EEA skilled workers coming into Britain - which currently stands at 20,700 - would hinder the recruitment of specialist employees.

Professor David Metcalf, head of the Migration Advisory Committee, has sought to dismiss these worries.

Only 8,900 skilled workers arrived in Britain in the twelve months before June 2011; meaning that over half of the immigration quota remained unfilled.

This suggests that the 20,700 cap had very little effect on UK businesses, and is unlikely to do so unless the number of skilled workers seeking to enter the country increases dramatically.

Certain areas of the UK economy, meanwhile, continue to be marked by a significant shortfall in adequately qualified workers. Engineers, highly skilled chefs, psychiatric consultants, and teachers of mathematics, physics and chemistry all remain in demand.

The identification of these shortages could lead to more job opportunities for migrant workers from outside the EEA.