Executive summary

• In 2022, the UK experienced a historic peak in net migration which reached 764,000. Currently, migrants make up 15% of the UK population. This figure is increasing but is comparable to other high-income countries.

• The rise in immigration is due to an influx of students, workers and individuals seeking humanitarian aid. The largest increase in migrant workers has been in the NHS and social care sector.

• Migrants are generally more likely to be of working age compared to UK-born individuals. Working-age migrant men have higher employment rates, while migrant women have lower employment rates. Migrants are disproportionately represented at both the high and low ends of the occupational spectrum.

• Immigration is viewed as a significant political issue. But the overall impact of migrants on the wages and employment opportunities of UK-born citizens appears to be minimal.

---

Tessa Hall and Alan Manning

26 June 2024     Paper Number CEPEA062

Download PDF - Immigration

Download Press Release

This CEP election analysis is published under the centre's Labour Markets programme.