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One in ten UK workers are not British, statistics show One in ten UK workers are not British, statistics show
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The number of foreign workers in the UK has increased by more than 30 per cent in the last five years, but British workers have only increased by five per cent in that time, according to statistics. Employment experts have hailed the contribution of migrant workers to the economy after new figures showed a big increase in the number of non-UK nationals working in this country.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows an increase of 750,000 foreign workers since the final quarter of 2010, compared to an increase of just over 1.4 million British workers in the same period. Unison said that without migrant workers, the NHS would "collapse".
This would suggest that one in three new jobs have been taken by foreigners. The figure for non-UK nationals has increased from just over one million in 1997 to 3.2 million, reflecting the admission of several new member states to the European Union, said the Office for National Statistics.
Of the 31.5 million workers in the UK in the final quarter of 2015, 28.2 million are British, 2 million are from the EU and nearly 1.2 million are from elsewhere in the world. Non-UK nationals from the EU working in this country increased by 215,000 to just over two million in the last quarter of 2015 compared with a year earlier.
The past five years have seen a 66 per cent increase in the number of EU workers, with the UK now employing more than two million Europeans. Gerwyn Davies, labour market adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said firms employing migrant workers have modestly higher productivity levels than those who do not.
Between October-December 2014 and the same period in 2015, 215,000 EU migrants found work in the UK, compared to 278,000 British citizens and 40,000 people from elsewhere in the world. "Migrants, along with younger and older workers, have also contributed to a strong labour supply in recent times to help offset the threat of skills shortages. This has both supported stronger employment growth and eased any pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates at a time when the global economy is showing signs of cooling down."
EU migration has been a contentious issue ahead of the planned referendum on the UK’s EU membership, and these figures will do little to discourage those who want to leave. Economist John Philpott said: "Within the current EU 'stay or leave', migration is often treated as a bad news issue. But contrary to popular wisdom, as long as the economy is growing, increased migration actually increases employment.
Of the Europeans working in the UK, there was a staggering 150 per cent increase in the number of workers estimated to originate from Romania or Bulgaria since 2010, with an increase of nearly 50,000 workers from the two countries arriving between October to December 2014 and the same period in 2015 alone. "Migrants fill vacancies that might not otherwise be filled and encourage businesses to create jobs that might not otherwise exist.
The number of EU workers in the UK surpassed the number of other non-EU foreign workers in 2009, and has increased rapidly since, while Non-EU worker numbers have levelled. "Moreover, by making it easier to fill vacancies, employment can increase without putting upward pressure on pay, which allows interest rates to stay low in order to support the overall level of demand in the economy."
The ONS suggests that this increase "reflects the admission of several new member states to the European Union". Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Without migrant workers, the NHS would collapse. But it's for the Government to ensure employers do not undercut wages and resource the NHS properly.
In the last five years 30 times more EU workers joined the UK workforce than other foreign workers. "This is so it doesn't need to cut student bursaries and can recruit more nurses as well as other health staff."
The next biggest group of workers, outside of the EU, are those originating from Africa (excluding South Africa) of whom there was a decrease in the number of workers in the last five years, from 231,000 to 191,000. A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said: "It's an absolute priority that British farmers and growers have access to non-UK born labour to carry out all their operations.
The third largest group of non-British or EU workers, those from India, also decreased in numbers in the past five yeasr, from 195,000 to 175,000.  "Many of the crops produced in the UK are seasonal, which creates a logistical problem to annually recruit sufficient workers at the time when they are needed. This is compounded by the fact that in developed countries like the UK, the resident workforce has a preference for permanent employment.
However the number of workers in the UK originating from India and Africa (excluding South Africa), is 426,000 and 660,000 respectively, suggesting that many of them may have become UK citizens since arriving in Britain for work.  "We know that employers in the UK within the agriculture and horticulture sectors, along with those further down the supply chain (i.e. food processors), have hired seasonal migrant workers in response to the increasing difficulty of recruiting a domestic workforce in recent years."
Neil Carberry, CBI director for employment and skills, said: "In a globalised economy skilled migrants are important to addressing UK skills shortages and attracting investment. Equally, it's critical to invest in our own education system and to manage the impact of migration on public services.
"Businesses stand ready to help the Government design a fit for purpose immigration system that recognises these needs."