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British brain drain
International migration is eroding Britain's skills base with an exodus of professionals matching the arrival of low-skilled foreign migrants, the Government is to be warned. The number of Britons emigrating has jumped in recent years, with a growing proportion leaving professional or managerial jobs to work overseas. By contrast, the number of immigrant workers - many of them manual workers - has risen sharply.According to Professor John Salt of University College London, an expert on migration and an adviser to the OECD and the European Union, the evidence suggests that migration flows are tending towards a de-skilling of the UK labour market, which is gaining manual and clerical workers but losing professionals and managers. Until recently, business leaders were broadly supportive of the Government's position on migration. However, a report last month by the British Chambers of Commerce revealed that seven out of ten of its members are now opposed to unchecked immigration. Between 2000 and 2005, a net total of 272,000 Britons emigrated, while a net total of 639,000 non-Britons moved to the UK. Findings from the Government's international passenger survey, cited by Prof Salt, show that in 2005, 34 per cent of immigrants were professionals or managers before entering Britain, 29 per cent were in lower-grade jobs while 37 per cent were not in work. By contrast, 42 per cent of emigrants were professionals or managers, 25 per cent were in other jobs and 33 per cent were not in work - often because they were retired. Posted by: trailing wife 2007-04-08 |
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