London, April 25 (IANS): More than half of small UK firms employing workers from the European Union (EU) are worried that the Brexit will stop them recruiting sufficiently skilled staff, a report revealed on Tuesday.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in a report said it has found that only 21 per cent of small firms currently employ staff from an EU country, the BBC reported.

But of those, 59 per cent are concerned they will not be able to recruit the right staff in the future.

The FSB said securing the right of EU staff to remain in the UK was vital.

Without that, said FSB's Chairman Mike Cherry, small firms feared they would lose skilled staff who would be difficult to replace.

"EU workers are a vital part of our economy, helping to plug chronic skills gaps across a wide range of sectors, and filling jobs in an already tight labour market," the BBC reported Cherry as saying.

"From packers, to mechanics, to graphic designers, small employers need to be able to hire the right person, for the right job at the right time."