MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO MIGRANT WORKERS
Summary
The National Assembly for Wales Equality of Opportunity Committee has asked for written evidence for its inquiry into migrant workers, their families and the communities in which they live and work.
Specifically, they have requested evidence from Jobcentre Plus, noting
Several witnesses have commented that some migrant workers are not using skills and qualifications from their countries of origin in the UK. What is Jobcentre Plus’ experience of migrant workers?
This paper provides the Department’s response.
1. The role of Jobcentre Plus in helping migrant workers find jobs and how the experience of helping migrant workers find jobs compares to helping the locally unemployed
On entering the UK, migrant workers can access Jobcentre Plus self service employment services in the same way as a local unemployed person - they can look for work through the Jobcentre Plus website, through the self service job kiosks in Jobcentre Plus offices and through the Jobseeker Direct telephone service. As these services are of a self service nature, there is no information available on the extent to which migrant workers use them or on the outcomes of migrants’ use of these services.
1.2 Once a migrant has met their conditions for claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (including having demonstrated that they have a right to reside and are habitually resident in the UK), they have the same rights of access to the full range of Jobcentre Plus services and employment programmes as a British unemployed person. They also have the same responsibilities to do everything they can to get themselves into work. Information is not available about the numbers of migrants accessing Jobcentre Plus services.
1.3 Jobcentre Plus translates its key leaflets into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu and also provides an interpreter service where appropriate. There is an Economic Migrant Adviser working in Cardiff through the Want2Work Project.
1.4 In 2007 Jobcentre Plus piloted a leaflet in Polish on the self service jobsearch support it provides for migrant workers already in the UK and is planning to make this available to staff in its local offices so they can issue it to callers.
1.5 Jobcentre Plus is a member of the EURES network, the European network for promoting and supporting the mobility of workers which was founded in 1994. Jobcentre Plus discharges its obligations as a member of this network by providing a link from its vacancies website to the official EC mobility web site, by publishing information on living and working in the UK, and through a small network of 20 EURES advisers who offer advice on EU labour markets and seek to influence employers who use migrant labour to consider Jobcentre Plus priority customer groups by promoting its services and initiatives.
For a few employers with clear skill shortage vacancies, more help is offered including putting them in touch with EURES services in other countries.
At the request of member states, advisers also attend overseas events with the prime aim of reducing speculative migration to the UK.
2.1 A cross departmental submission presented by the Home Office to the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs includes some discussion of whether migrants are doing work for which they are over qualified. The evidence cites a study by external economists which notes that many new arrivals initially move into lower level occupations than their skills would dictate, and states that this is something policy is addressing through initiatives such as English language training [English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)], so that language does not represent a barrier to migrants putting their skills to maximum productive use.
2.2 The evidence also cites an external study which suggests that the labour market performance of foreign born workers changes with length of residence in the UK - possibly because they acquire additional skills specific to the UK economy, or tailor their existing skills to the UK labour market.
2.3 External researchers (Dr Richard Dickens and Dr Abigail McKnight) are currently examining, using Department for Work and Pensions data, the labour market progression of immigrants entering the UK in terms of their assimilation into the UK labour force. The findings of this research are due in July 2008.
2.4 Jobcentre Plus has not conducted any analysis of this issue, but there is some anecdotal evidence to suggest that some migrants take on jobs for which they are over-qualified. This may be because it is quicker and easier for migrants to access low-skilled work because of the nature of the recruitment processes involved. In addition, the difference in wage levels between, for example, the A8 countries and the UK may mean that low skilled work is an attractive option for many migrants, despite the fact that they may have higher skill levels than the job requires.
