29.04.2008
Research into the economic impact of migrant workers on the UK’s food and drink manufacturing industry has been commissioned by Improve, the sector skills council.
It is the first study of its kind in the industry since 2005, when another Improve-led project found that just under 100 UK food and drink processing companies employed overseas nationals. In that study, 74 per cent of employers who had taken on migrant workers reported a positive impact on productivity and profits.
However, with the number of migrant workers in the sector more than trebling since 2005, from an estimated 23,000 to 72,500 (Labour Force Survey, 4 quarter average 2007), Improve has ordered a new in-depth study to look at why an increasing number of food and drink businesses are apparently turning to overseas labour.
Improve chief executive Jack Matthews said: “Migrant labour is very important to the food and drink industry. Around one in five employees are now overseas nationals and that figure is likely to increase. Many companies simply couldn’t stay in business if it wasn’t for foreign labour. This study will provide concrete evidence about the impact migrant workers are having, which in turn will give us a better understanding of some of the wider labour trends in the industry.
“Rather than represent cheap, low-skilled labour, we’ve found that many employers in the food and drink industry value migrant workers for their hard-work ethic, commitment, reliability, flexibility and high quality of work. Our previous study showed that a quarter of all foreign workers in the industry were educated to degree level or higher. The industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, which has meant the skills requirements of the workforce have also shifted significantly. In some cases, these changing requirements have not been met by the domestic workforce, forcing companies to look further afield. We need to increase our understanding of the situations in which this has occurred so we can get a better handle on where skills gaps exist and what kind of skills are driving success.”
The study, to be conducted by Cheshire based Ci Research, will gauge figures and opinions from around 600 food and drink manufacturing companies of all types and sizes selected from across the UK. It will also include in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and will be backed up by case studies to add a qualitative context to the overall findings. It is hoped the results, which are expected in July, will help plot future trends in the use of migrant labour in the industry.
The survey will also look at potential difficulties arising from the employment of overseas nationals, including language barriers and restrictions created by immigration laws, and analyse the extent and effectiveness of measures put in place to alleviate those problems across the whole industry.
For further information, e-mail research@improveltd.co.uk
