Young non-EU nationals take a growing share of UK jobs
Jobs held by young non-EU nationals in Britain have quadrupled since 2019 as the UK’s youth inactivity crisis rages, reports BritPanorama. Nearly one in twelve payroll jobs are occupied by foreign workers under 25, a significant rise from one in fifty six years prior, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Social Justice.
The study indicates that the number of payroll jobs held by non-EU nationals surged from 85,300 to 370,900 out of a total of 4.29 million roles in the UK. The findings correlate with an increase in youth inactivity, with nearly one million young people aged 16 to 24 neither earning nor learning, which rises by 180,000 since 2019.
These statistics emerge as Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, plans to enable 80,000 Europeans aged 18 to 30 to come to the UK under a proposed youth mobility scheme with the EU. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between labour shortages and the growing number of young individuals unable to find employment.
Joe Shalam of the Centre for Social Justice commented on the issue, stating, “Ministers are reportedly planning a new youth immigration scheme while nearly a million young people already living here are neither earning nor learning. Leaving a generation of young people on the sidelines is a scandal.” He emphasized the need for comprehensive welfare reform to support youth and address rising welfare bills.
In response to these developments, a government spokesperson highlighted that the UK workforce predominantly comprises UK nationals and stated, “Our new skills-based migration system puts British workers first while welcoming the high-skilled talent our economy needs.” They also pointed out that non-EU migration had seen a significant reduction, down by 82% in the past two years under current policy.
The complexity of the UK’s labour market continues to evolve, with the current administration balancing the necessity of foreign labour against the urgency of addressing domestic youth unemployment and inactivity.
