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Report Warns That More Migration Will Add Further Pressure to Social Care Sector

04/10/2016

A new report has claimed that continued migration will add unbearable pressure on an already struggling social care sector.

The report warns that filling roles with foreign labour will further undercut existing wages and will undermine efforts to improve working conditions for carers.

The findings were presented by The Independent Age and the International Centre for Longevity. Conversely, the results suggested that the sector could be as many as a million workers short by 2037 if freedom of movement is restricted within the EU as a result of the Brexit.

The study found that around 10% of workers were being paid under the minimum wage as carers.

As a result of tough working conditions and poor pay the sector sees over a quarter of new employees quit within a year. Migration Watch therefore sees the inability to recruit within the sector as reflective of the dire working conditions.

Vice-chairman Alp Mehmet said: “Lower-skilled migration adds little, if anything, to the UK’s budget and does nothing for GDP per head. 

"Instead, it maintains the UK’s poor productivity levels while pushing down some of the lowest wages, especially in the care sector.

"It is not right to continue to pursue a policy of importing lower skilled workers rather than looking at wages and conditions and making these jobs more attractive to existing residents.” 

Although foreigners make up just 6% of the total social care workforce, over 80% of new workers hail from the European Economic Area.

A Bank of England report last year found migration into lower-skilled work had a detrimental effect on wages in “caring personal service occupations” and it was more in the care sector than in any other area of employment.

Recent figures show 90% of households are reducing spending on non-essential items to increase savings in light of negative job market warnings.

The Bank of England has predicted 250,000 job losses in the coming years as the UK’s economic growth is affected by possible Brexit fallout.

Research by True Potential Investor shows drinking, exercising and eating out are among the most common areas where spending has been cut.