THE NUMBER of East Europeans working in Britain has surged by over 50,000 since the bombshell Brexit vote – official figures revealed yesterday.
And it means that over the past year, foreign born nationals have accounted for 90 per cent of the net rise in employment – more than 400,000 jobs.
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Experts said the figures proved that despite fears of an exodus after the Referendum there had been a huge rise in workers from nations such as Poland and Hungary.
The Office for National Statistics said number of east Europeans employed in the UK rose by over 50,000 to nearly 1.4 million between July and September. The number from western EU nations fell.
But overall in the past year, of a 454,000 net rise in employment in the UK, only 36,000 roles went to UK born nationals.
AP:ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nearly 150,000 went to people born in the EU’s Eastern European states – to so called EU8 – and Romania and Bulgaria.
The shock figures came as Britain’s overall unemployment rate fell to an 11 year low.
And it fuelled speculation that Europeans are rushing to reach the UK and take advantage of free movement rules before Brexit border controls take effect.
Migration Watch chair Lord Green of Deddington said: “This is yet another large increase in the labour force driven by an increase in foreign workers.
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“That increase amounts of just over a million in three years. In the last year, just over half came from the EU, including 150,000 from Eastern Europe.”
He added: “This continuing influx helps explain why the British people voted for Brexit and is a sharp reminder that the forthcoming negotiations must get these numbers down.”
Brexit Secretary David Davis in July said he expected a “rush” by Europeans to get into Britain before we leave the EU in early 2019.
Just three weeks ago, some Poles said there were considering leaving the country after a rise in hate crime.
But David Freeman ONS statistician yesterday said: “The limited evidence suggests the referendum outcome … has had little impact so far on the number of EU workers in the labour force.”
PA:PRESS ASSOCIATION
Yesterday’s figures revealed Britain’s unemployment rate fell to just 4.8 per cent in the three months to the end of September – the lowest since mid 2005.
The jobless total dropped by 37,000 to 1.6 million in the three months to September.
The overall number of people in work rose was 119,000 higher in September than June – or a 49,000 on the ONS-preferred ‘seasonally adjusted’ measure, which strips out seasonal fluctuations in the workforce.
Economists warned there were signs the uncertainty triggered by the Brexit vote could “sap” the Labour market of its previous strength.
The ONS said: “Unemployment is at its lowest for more than ten years, and the employment rate remains at a record high.
“Nonetheless, there are signs that the labour market might be cooling with employment growth slowing.”
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