Three quarters of public say UK workers should be prioritised for British jobs rather than migrants, study shows
More than three quarters of the public believe employers should prioritise hiring British workers rather than migrants, research has found.
The poll for Migrationwatch showed the vast majority of the public wanted employers to prioritise getting British people back to work after the covid-19 crisis.
The campaign group warned that the findings contrasted with plans by the Government to remove the right for people in the UK to have the first chance to apply for jobs.
Migrationwatch said that under the resident labour market test, employers have been obliged to check no suitably-qualified worker exists in the UK labour market before filling vacancies in occupations through overseas recruitment. Many countries have similar rules in place.
Some 77 per cent of more than 1,500 respondents surveyed this month believed that “with record numbers of people unable to work as usual, the government should ensure that employers prioritise getting British workers back to work instead of making it easier to bring in more employees from abroad.”
When faced with the option, only eight per cent said the government should make it easier to bring in more employees from abroad.
There were similar results across parties and regions: 89 per cent of Conservative voters said the focus should be on getting British workers back to work, as did 71 per cent of Labour voters and 72 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters Other figures showed:
* 71 per cent of those between the ages of 18 and 24 said it should be the focus, along with 91% of those aged 65 and over.
* 72 per cent of Remain voters agreed, as did 86% of Leave voters.
* 79 per cent of those in the North said this, as did 72 per cent in the Midlands, 86 per cent in Wales, 82 per cent in Scotland, 81 per cent in the South of England and 64 per cent in London.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: “With unemployment claims already at two million and rising, the public are virtually united in wanting the interests of the UK workforce to be put first.
“It is not too late for the government to rethink its immigration plan so that, when the crisis is finally behind us, British workers will have the first shot at new vacancies.”
