According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the latest quarterly figures on A8 workers (from the eight countries that most recently joined the EU) show the UK is losing its pulling power for workers from the first batch of EU accession countries such as Poland.
John Philpott, chief economist at the CIPD, said: “The good news is employers with vacancies to fill will be more likely to turn to British jobseekers, especially those recently made redundant who have relevant skills and up-to-date experience. The bad news is the smaller inflow from A8 migrants is another sign there are simply fewer jobs available overall.
“Indeed, the fact that today’s figures also show an increase in the number of A8 migrants trying to sign on for the dole in the UK demonstrates how tough times are.”
UK loses allure for eastern European workers
The number of central and eastern European migrants seeking work in the UK has reached a three-year low.
