Jobs

Employment by country of birth and nationality

The labour force survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) tells us how many people from different countries have jobs in the UK. In the ONS’s monthly labour market statistics release there’s a relevant section on employment levels and rates by country of birth and nationality.

Work visas

Some people need a work visa to be able to take up employment in the UK. The Home Office publishes work visa figures in its migration statistics release.

Admissions to the UK

Non-EEA (European Economic Area) nationals have to complete landing cards when they arrive at UK airports and seaports. These allow the number of admissions by purpose of journey – including work – to be calculated. The admission figures are produced as Home Office immigration statistics.

The number of EEA admissions (not including British nationals) is measured by the Office for National Statistics’ long term international migration series. This consists of figures for people who’ve told the international passenger survey they intend to or have found work in the UK.  This data is less precise as it records people’s stated intentions rather than using visa or landing card information.

National Insurance numbers and benefit claimants

People coming to work in the UK need to register for a National Insurance (NI) number and start paying contributions on the same basis as people who normally live and work in the country. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes figures on how many applications they receive and how many NI numbers are issued. This data includes all adults coming to the UK for all types of work, whatever their length of stay.

The DWP occasionally publishes an analysis of how these figures can be put to other uses. For instance, it’s possible to break down benefit claimant data by nationality.

The impacts of immigration

Migration can have an impact on many different aspects of society, including jobs, public services, housing, transport, crime and general social cohesion.

In 2012 the Migration Advisory Committee produced a report on this subject. There’s also information on various aspects of immigration – from the incidence of human trafficking to the pressure on social services – in the Home Office’s migration research and analysis section.