Afternoon:
15°c
40 per cent of jobs in London taken by foreign-born staff
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor26 May 2011
Nearly two out of five workers in London come from overseas, an official report revealed today.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that more than 1.4 million people working in the capital were foreign born - compared with just over 2.3 million who were born in the UK.
It means that 38.3 per cent of the capital's workforce comes from abroad, highlighting the heavy reliance of London's economy on overseas staff.
The figures also show that one third of high-skilled workers in London - such as accountants, doctors, teachers and scientists - are foreign-born with a total of 403,000 such posts in the capital filled by overseas staff.
Similar numbers are in jobs classed as requiring "upper-middle" skills, although most - 425,000 - are in "lower-middle" occupations.
Overseas workers also fill nearly two thirds of low-skilled jobs in London with 202,000 foreigners working as cleaners, hotel porters, postmen, catering assistants or in similar occupations. Just 120,000 British-born workers do such jobs.
The figures, which came as separate statistics showed that annual net migration into the UK has risen to 242,000, represent the first official snapshot of the skill level of overseas workers in Britain.
Across the country they show that there has been a big surge in the numbers of foreign workers in low-skilled jobs since 2002, with a corresponding drop in the number of UK-born people employed in the same type of work.
The figures show that foreigners fill a much higher proportion of all types of jobs in London than in other parts of the country.
Foreign-born staff fill 13.1 per cent of higher-skilled posts across the country, but 33 per cent in London. The biggest disparity is in the low-skilled category, where the figure is 20 per cent nationally but 62.8 per cent in London.
Reader views (13)
Why did the UK government not impose any restrictions on Eastern European people coming here to work? Germany and Austria have only just recently opened the labour market to Eastern Europeans that joined the EU in 2004 - that's seven years after the UK let them in! Guess which country has the higher wages and a higher standard of living? Not the UK! I've lived abroad for the last decade and upon my return to London was shocked to find that wages have not risen in over ten years! Quite obviously this is to do with the huge influx of Eastern Europeans happy to work for the minimum wage (or less)! How on earth is one supposed to support oneself on a minimum wage in London? One week's wage goes on your Oyster card, the other three weeks' wages on rent, bills and the cheapest food available. Why should Londoners be forced to compromise on their standard of living because of all these people from desolate ex-communist countries? The reason why they all come here is because English is the only foreign language most of them were taught or know, and many are hoping to make it to the US from here. But then the US has a policy of giving jobs to US citizens first. Looks like their government is a lot smarter than ours!
- Fiona, London, 12/06/2011 18:08
Report abuse
It would be nice if they also publish the percentage of foreign born employers in London..
- Gee, Herts, UK, 27/05/2011 12:59
Report abuse
You are welcome to clean my house if you can do it as well and as cheaply as my Polish cleaners
- James, Richmond........"as cheaply"
Jimmy ...they probably manage that by living 10 to a house...claim child welfare for their kids (+ other benefits) back in Warsaw etc....
then send all your lovely money back to Poland...hence not helping old Blighty in anyway....
meanwhile young UK kids (predominatly black, but others too) are leading a life of
crime while you swan around in your lovely Richmond...(not very vibrant)....house.....
ever heard of Karma Jimmy ?
- Chansey Gardner, Stove farm....somerset, 27/05/2011 12:47
Report abuse
It is probably fair to say that the 'majority' of unemployed people with an unskilled background are Labour supporters. They always have and always will vote for the party that 'they consider' supports their lifestyle of benefits and handouts. That is what all of the strikes/marches are about to preserve the right of the blue collar workers to live out life on the described above. Incomers do not look at life like that.
- nick.holland, bearsden, 27/05/2011 11:29
Report abuse
Mark you have a valid point, only now we are also paying for these workers that have come here lost their jobs but now get benefits for them and their brood as well, yet the old people have to lose their homes to pay for their keep as well as have these low paid workers from other countries looking after them. Cannot quite figure it out yet!
- Kat, London, 26/05/2011 20:39
Report abuse
When you see the news every evening is another one or two foreigners committing crimes, how long before somebody in a responsible position is going to put a stop to all this multiculturalism rubbish,and send some of these greedy people back from where they came.
- Davey_Buoy, Chertsey, 26/05/2011 17:47
Report abuse
People seem to be missing the point. If we allow unlimited numbers of foreign workers to come here then we drive down salaries and increase unemployment as there are only a finite number of jobs. James might be happy with his cheap Polish cleaner but seems to forget that he then has to pay for a British Mrs. Mop to sit on the dole and her entire family to receive benefits. As well as the effects that unemployment has on crime and social unrest. Not that it's an excuse but the link is well proven.
- Mark, London, 26/05/2011 17:34
Report abuse
Listen friends, as long as we have a PM who only crawls to the yanks ,what do you expect. The man at the helm in britain has not the slightest idea of what is going on in the shires let alone 200 yards from Downing st. He has spent the entire time as PM . falling over himself handing out our money to causes where the leaders of these said regimes have had there hands in the bin taking thr cash out to fund there life styles with Plush Limo's , the finest food , paid for women while the rest of the populus starves --Cameron and co are just a bunch of No No's and not to be all that long in Power .
- Hamilton Straker, Ealing West London, 26/05/2011 16:33
Report abuse
The English don't get a look in. There are many locals in low paid jobs (if they are lucky). I believe Mr Brown promised jobs ...
- Volpone, Stoke Newington, 26/05/2011 13:46
You are welcome to clean my house if you can do it as well and as cheaply as my Polish cleaners
- James, Richmond, 26/05/2011 15:38
Report abuse
An indictment of our welfare system which for far too long has paid the idle and work shy to do nothing.
- Alan J, London, 26/05/2011 14:33
Report abuse
It's nothing to do with where you are from, if you want to work you will, it might mean you won't get the job you dreamed about or the job you think you deserve. If the people don't want to do certain jobs then naturally someone else well take it up, and they just might be someone from a foreign country.
- Miah, London, 26/05/2011 14:24
Report abuse
Have a look at central London hotels on the 1911 Census - all the waiting staff were foreign nationals - what's changed?
- Helen, West London, 26/05/2011 14:24
Report abuse
The English don't get a look in. There are many locals in low paid jobs (if they are lucky). I believe Mr Brown promised jobs ...
- Volpone, Stoke Newington, 26/05/2011 13:46
Report abuse
