“British jobs for foreign workers”
New figures published today show just how few new jobs in Britain have gone to British born workers. Looking at people of working age, all jobs created in the private sector under the Labour Government have been filled by foreign born workers. The number of UK born workers in the private sector actually fell by nearly 90,000 between the first quarter of 1997 and the first quarter of 2009. A third of new public sector jobs also went to non-UK born workers.
In respect of the total working population over the age of 16, the picture is slightly different – because a significant number of UK born people have stayed on after the official retirement age. These figures show that 1.1 million new jobs have been created in the public sector of which 28% went to non-UK born workers. In the private sector there were 1.8 million new jobs – but 85% went to non-UK born workers.
Commenting on the figures, the co-Chairmen of the Cross-Party Group on Balanced Migration, Frank Field MP and Nicholas Soames MP, said:
“These figures tell a simple story: in the private sector it has been British jobs for foreign workers. The private sector should now match the public sector in ensuring local people have the first chance at gaining local jobs”.
A briefing note on the figures is attached.
Note to editors:
1. For media enquiries, please contact Patrick White on 020 7219 6636.
2. The Rt Hon Frank Field MP and The Hon Nicholas Soames MP are Co-Chairmen of the Cross Party Group on Balanced Migration. The Group’s Vice-Chairmen are Lord (Bill) Jordan CBE (former President of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union) and Daniel Kawczynski MP (Conservative, Shrewsbury &
Atcham). Other members include Tobias Ellwood MP, Roger Godsiff MP, Peter Kilfoyle MP, David Taylor MP, Robert Key MP, Lord Ahmed, Lord Anderson, Lord Carey (former Archbishop of Canterbury) Baroness Cox, Field Marshal Lord Inge KG, GCB, PC, DL, Lord Skidelsky and Lord Wakeham.
3. For more information, please visit www.balancedmigration.com
Research Note

NEARLY ALL NEW JOBS HAVE GONE TO
FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS
1. Figures obtained recently from the Office for National Statistics [under the Freedom of Information Act] reveal that nearly all the new jobs created in the private sector since the first quarter of 1997 have gone to non-UK born workers.
2. The situation is particularly stark for those of working age. The increase in employment between the first quarter of 1997 and the first quarter of 2009 was about 2.3 million. Of these 930,000 were in the public sector and 1,470,000 were in the private sector. In the public sector about 1/3rd of the extra jobs went to non-UK born workers whereas in the private sector all the extra jobs went to foreign-born workers - indeed UK born individuals in employment actually fell by nearly 90,000.
3. The picture looks slightly different in respect of all working people over the age of 16 because a significant number of UK born people have stayed on after the official retirement age. These figures show that 1.1 million new jobs have been created in the public sector of which 28% went to non-UK born workers. In the private sector there were 1.8 million new jobs but 85% went to non-UK born workers.
4. These official figures are estimates based on survey respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. They also exclude a relatively small number for whom the country of birth was not known.
5. The graph below shows how the number of non-UK born workers has steadily increased in the working age workforce while the number of UK born workers has declined. The recession has, of course, hit both series.
6. The bar chart below shows the effect on those of working age over the whole period.
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