 |
||
| Seven in 10 new jobs in UK go to overseas workers: OECD study |
|
Seven in 10 of the two million extra jobs created under the Labour government have been accounted for by migrant workers, reports the Daily Telegraph quoting a major international study. According to a news report published today, the study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that overseas workers in the UK have now taken a larger share of new jobs than in any other major industrialised nation examined in the report. The study warns that while migration may be falling during the recession, it is likely to pick up again once economies improve. For the UK specifically, it said the growing trend in Poles returning home may be reversed once conditions improve in the UK again and the pound becomes stronger. The annual International Migration Outlook found that employment in the UK has grown by more than two million since 1997 but 1.5 million - or 71 per cent - were accounted for by workers born overseas. Out of 17 leading nations examined by the OECD, only Luxembourg had a higher proportion of new jobs going to foreigners. The UK was ahead of major economies such as America (less than 60 per cent), France (just over 10 per cent) and Australia (around 30 per cent). The latest report will fuel the growing concern over the impact of immigration on jobs, especially as unemployment grows during the recession. The OECD study also found that between a quarter and a third of jobs taken by skilled migrant are through so-called intra-company transfers. Figures earlier this year showed the equivalent of 130 jobs a day are being taken by foreigners through the system, which allows for posts to be filled by workers from a company's overseas offices without first being advertised here. The OECD also warned that Poles are currently returning home because conditions are better there due to a strong exchange rate but that may change once the pound strengthens. The report said, globally, migrants are often the first to suffer during an economic downturn but countries should be prepared for when economies improve and foreign workers are needed again. "In these challenging times, policymakers should address labour market integration of immigrants as a matter of priority." said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría. "Migration is not a tap that can be turned on and off at will. "We need responsive, fair and effective migration and integration policies - policies that work and adjust to both good economic times and bad ones. We also need to ensure that the benefits of migration are shared between sending and receiving countries. This requires responsible recruitment policies to avoid the risk of brain drain." Related Articles:
Last update: 02-07-2009 09:15
|
No comment posted
