The wage impact of immigration into the UK after the Great Recession

Publication type

Journal Article

Authors

Publication date

December 1, 2024

Summary:

Over the last two decades, immigration has become a major policy concern in the UK, largely driven by EU enlargement, the Great Recession, and the UK’s exit from the EU. With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence indicates that the UK faces labour shortages due to the withdrawal of EU workers. This paper is aimed at assessing the effect of immigration on the wages of native UK workers in the decade after the Great Recession and before the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. It provides new evidence on the wage impact of immigration in the UK from 2009 to 2020. On balance, the evidence suggests that fears about adverse consequences of rising UK immigration have been unfounded, with immigration into the UK having a positive effect on native wages after the Great Recession. This positive effect remains when internal migration adjustments are incorporated.

Published in

Journal of International Migration and Integration

Volume and page numbers

Volume: 25 , p.1943 -1961

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-024-01152-x

ISSN

14883473

Subjects

#588575

News

Latest findings, new research

Publications search

Search all research by subject and author

Podcasts

Researchers discuss their findings and what they mean for society

Projects

Background and context, methods and data, aims and outputs

Events

Conferences, seminars and workshops

Survey methodology

Specialist research, practice and study

Taking the long view

ISER's annual report

Themes

Key research themes and areas of interest