Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[Syt]

UK is at less than 4% unemployment, I doubt there's going to be a huge mass of unemployed locals gushing at shit menial jobs.

Pay them better?

What a silly notion!

[Sheilbh]

I know, right?

Business groups love markets, except when it comes to labour when you just hear endless special pleading about skills shortages and the need for the government to help them out. If something's scarce then you pay more for it

[celedhring]

UK is at less than 4% unemployment, I doubt there's going to be a huge mass of unemployed locals gushing at shit menial jobs.

Pay them better?

According to this (https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment-by-qualification-level/latest#by-ethnicity-and-qualification-level) the unemployment rate for the uneducated is 5%. It seems to me the UK does need to import unskilled labor.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Pret a manger reported this back in 2017 :

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/mar/08/pret-a-manger-one-in-50-job-applicants-british-brexit


Hardly a strategic industry. Essentially we exploit foreign workers so that middle class Londoners can buy a cheaper sandwich.

I actually agree with the brexiters on this one; a labour shortage favours the mass of the populace and if a business cannot cope with that then it deserves to go under.

[HVC]

Why do they need to attract unskilled labour from overseas?

Probably construction and farm jobs

Farm jobs are a hard fix since they are so seasonal but Construction jobs...pay more.

If Canada is an example construction pay is great and unionized, but locals don't want to do it.

[The Larch]

Priti Patel's announced the new migration system from 2021:


You need to get 70 points. The first three categories are mandatory, so you basically need 20 points to top up. Business have complained that this means they won't be able to attract "unskilled" labour from overseas. There's also concern in the NHS/social care - but I imagine those sectors can be put as a shortage occupation.

Why the obsession with PhDs? Any lower education level doesn't count at all?

[The Larch]

UK is at less than 4% unemployment, I doubt there's going to be a huge mass of unemployed locals gushing at shit menial jobs.

Pay them better?

Surely fruit farmers would come out saying that unless they can get away with paying some Romanians a few pounds per hour to pick their apples or whatever their business wouldn't be profitable at all.

[Sheilbh]

Surely fruit farmers would come out saying that unless they can get away with paying some Romanians a few pounds per hour to pick their apples or whatever their business wouldn't be profitable at all.

I'm sure they will - but I think there's a separate seasonal workers visa for that sort of industry. As with the points it'll just apply to EU and non-EU citizens alike now.

Why the obsession with PhDs? Any lower education level doesn't count at all?

That is bizarre. Especially because I always thought you'd have PhD/academic/researchy people on a separate visa stream.

[Grey Fox]

Why do they need to attract unskilled labour from overseas?

Probably construction and farm jobs

Farm jobs are a hard fix since they are so seasonal but Construction jobs...pay more.

If Canada is an example construction pay is great and unionized, but locals don't want to do it.

In Ontario.

[Grey Fox]

UK is at less than 4% unemployment, I doubt there's going to be a huge mass of unemployed locals gushing at shit menial jobs.

Pay them better?

According to this (https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment-by-qualification-level/latest#by-ethnicity-and-qualification-level) the unemployment rate for the uneducated is 5%. It seems to me the UK does need to import unskilled labor.

How high do those rate rise when you actually include every uneducated persons & not just "active population".

[Josquius]

What's interesting with the way things are going is it seems to be an attempt to do to graduates what the idiots believe is happening to uneducated people. Replacing them with imported foreigners who will work for nothing.
As the current situation for non EU workers in the UK.... It's an absolute pain. To switch jobs they have to pay 2k or so to redo their visa. A lot of companies won't consider them due to the paperwork annoyance.
I know from experience it can essentially amount to high end indentured labour. People staying on at awful companies with terrible conditions simply because if they quit they'd be deported and switching isn't an option.

UK is at less than 4% unemployment, I doubt there's going to be a huge mass of unemployed locals gushing at shit menial jobs.

Pay them better?

According to this (https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment-by-qualification-level/latest#by-ethnicity-and-qualification-level) the unemployment rate for the uneducated is 5%. It seems to me the UK does need to import unskilled labor.

The UK is a big country. Its a mistake to look at unemployment on a national level.
In some towns around here you have a unemployment rate well into the double figures. In other towns they've negative unemployment.
A Latvian working in a hotel in Bournemouth isn't taking the job of a former steel worker in Redcar.

I actually agree with the brexiters on this one; a labour shortage favours the mass of the populace and if a business cannot cope with that then it deserves to go under.

In theory it's economics 101, supply and demand. As you know reality is more complex than that though.
Japan is the go to counter example here. Wages have been stagnant for 3 decades. Yet there is a massive labour shortage.

[crazy canuck]

Why do they need to attract unskilled labour from overseas?

Probably construction and farm jobs

Farm jobs are a hard fix since they are so seasonal but Construction jobs...pay more.

If Canada is an example construction pay is great and unionized, but locals don't want to do it.

Not the experience here.  Construction employs large numbers of local people in this province 9% of total employment and the most employees in the goods sector of the economy - or so says the government in its budget documents released yesterday.

[Sheilbh]

I mean we're not that big

But actually the ONS has started doing regional economic statistics, which are difficult, after lots of prodding from various groups, the latest set:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/regionallabourmarket/february2020

[Josquius]

I do wonder whether following the Swiss system could help.
Over there you need to change your visa entirely for a job in a new canton.
Conveniently the places that want more immigration are also the less brexity places so... Everyone is happy :p

[Sheilbh]

Doesn't that rely on registration in your local area though? Which is the way most EU members control intra-EU migration if they need to, but is something that's absolutely anathema here.