Published: 08 May 2008
Who will do the work? The Economics of Migration
News that the numbers of migrants from countries such as Poland are falling, and the numbers now leaving the UK is on the increase, has led the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) to ask ‘who will do the work?'
Their evidence shoes that the employment sectors most dependent on migrant workers from Eastern Europe are largely those same sectors, often low waged, with larger employment share in rural areas, such as agriculture, manufacturing, distribution, hotel and retail.
They are investigating the possibility that some rural communities & businesses could be vulnerable to an economic shock if there was to be a sudden slowdown or even a reversal of the current influx of migrant workers.
Recent findings from ippr have highlighted the main factors that might be expected to lead to fewer migrants.
The CRC are supporting further work by ippr to examine the potential for immediate and possibly damaging consequences to businesses suddenly faced with shortages of labour and associated higher costs.
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