THE number of EU citizens looking to work in the conurbation is down by a third since Brexit, figures suggest.

Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show how many foreign nationals have successfully applied for NI numbers, which are required to work or claim benefits.

The deficit is most noticeable in Bournemouth where in the 12 months up to March this year 2,868 people from the EU registered for NI numbers, down from 4,129 in the 12 months before the Brexit referendum in June 2016.

The data divides European workers into three groups.

It identifies people from the EU15 – countries that joined the bloc before 2004 like France, Spain and Germany.

The EU8 countries joined in the 2004 enlargement, and include Poland and the Czech Republic.

The EU2, Romania and Bulgaria, joined in 2007, but could not move to the UK to work until 2014.

The biggest drop in new workers registering post-Brexit was from the EU15.

In Bournemouth, in the 12 months up to March, 1,587 EU15 citizens signed up for NI numbers, 538 fewer than before the referendum. Of residents from the EU8 countries, 459 fewer registered. And the number of Romanians and Bulgarians registering for NI numbers reduced by 260 or 27 per cent.

The data does not explain why the numbers have reduced.

Possible factors under discussion include post-Brexit uncertainty or other factors such as the improvement of the economies in residents' home countries. Poland, for example, currently has a record low unemployment rate.

In Poole the number of registrations dropped from 912 prior to the referendum to 654 in the 12 months to March this year, while in Christchurch registrations dropped from 133 to 92.

There has been concern that there will be a workforce gap after Brexit, particularly in catering, construction and agriculture.

The DWP said the figures should not be used to indicate immigration levels as foreign nationals may have been in the country for some time before applying for an NI number.

According to the ONS' latest nationwide immigration statistics Romanians moved above Irish and Indians to become the second most numerous non-British nationality in the UK, after Poles.