Central and East European Migrants in Low-Wage Employment in the UK

Recently published research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlights that central and eastern European migrant workers in the labour market are generally employed in low-skill, low-wage positions.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation research explores the employment of migrants from Central and Eastern Europe in low-wage occupations such as agriculture, construction and hospitality and what determines employer demand for migrant labour in these sectors. The study, conducted before and after enlargement of the EU on 1 May 2004, involved surveys and interviews with over 600 migrants and 500 employers, although the nature of the sample (where participants could not be selected randomly) means that the survey itself cannot be seen as representative of migrant workers in general.

Some of the key findings from the JRF research are that:

• In April 2004, interviewees worked for relatively low earnings and longer basic hours than the occupational average. Many had no paid holiday, sick leave, or written contract. Many had qualifications and skills significantly above those required by their job. None belonged to a trade union.
• Before EU enlargement, more respondents were in the UK legally but working in violation of the conditions attached to their immigration status than were illegally resident. Over half of student visa holders and au pairs surveyed were legally resident but working more hours than permitted or in non-permitted employment. Many workers illegally resident or violating conditions paid national insurance.
• Many migrants traded off low-skilled work and poor conditions for better pay than in their home countries or for other benefits, such as learning English, often because they viewed the job as temporary. Consequently, they did not always perceive the lack of a written contract as disadvantageous.

More information on migrant workers can be found from the UK Home Office Worker Registration Scheme (WRS).  The WRS provides data upon entry to the UK of workers from A8 countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia).