Migrant workers

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 | Updated: Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:51 GMT

The decline in the number of Eastern European migrants represents both good and bad news for British jobseekers, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The number of people from A8 accession countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) registering to work in the UK fell compared with the same period last year by more than 38% to 35,000 in the third quarter, according to the Home Office.

Dr John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, said that the figures have provided limited comfort to British jobseekers: “The latest quarterly figures on A8 workers show that, with a fast weakening jobs market and a sharp drop in the value of the pound, the UK is losing its economic pulling power as far as Eastern European migrants from the initial EU accession countries, especially Poland, are concerned. The number registering to work in the third quarter was the lowest since the start of 2005 and well below the large inflows seen in 2006."

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