Migrants are essential for business growth

Migrants are playing a vital part in overcoming one of the biggest barriers to business expansion by making up for a shortage of skilled workers, employers say.
The comments from the CBI, based on a survey of the London job market, contradict claims by opponents of an „open door“ policy that east European immigrants are making a negligible contribution to Britain’s wealth. Two thirds of the businesses surveyed warned that they expect skills shortages to be the biggest obstacle to growth in the first half of 2007. Almost half the respondents – 48% – said they relied on staff from other EU countries, and 37% said they were turning to non-EU nationals.
Susan Anderson, CBI director of Human Resources Policy, said: “Migrants to the UK bring valuable skills and ideas with them and help to fill job vacancies where Britons are unable or unwilling to do so. Their taxes help pay for our public services and our pensions, long after many migrants have returned home. Their presence also helps keep inflation low at a time when there are forces pushing the other way.“
Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, said: „Migrant workers fill an important gap in the UK’s growing labour market. Independent reports show that migrants are net contributors to government revenue while giving our economic growth a major boost.“
Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said competition from migrant workers helped drive costs and inflation down.