The British economy is benefiting significantly from the influx of migrant workers to the UK, according to a study published today by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The report, entitled ‘The economics of migration’ found that, rather than being a drain on the welfare state, migrant workers are paying more in taxes than the value of public services they receive.
The study found that migrant workers are responsible for 10% of economic growth, and that there is little evidence to suggest that migration has had a negative impact on the distribution of jobs or wages.
However, the TUC has urged the government to safeguard this performance by ramping up its enforcement of the minimum wage, in order to clamp down on employers who are taking advantage of migrant workers’ lack of knowledge of their rights.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber commented: “Migrant workers are making a substantial contribution to Britain’s economy, and some sectors would collapse if they were removed overnight.
“They haven’t caused mass unemployment or held wages down as some would have us believe.
“But we do not do enough to protect vulnerable workers, whether migrant or indigenous, from exploitation.
“If migrant workers are treated fairly and paid a decent wage they can only add to the economy, and pose no threat to the livelihoods of the rest of the workforce.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
