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Reading 23: Responding to employers - labour shortages and immigration…
Reading 23: Responding to employers - labour shortages and immigration policy
ARE IMMIGRANT WORKERS NEEDED TO FILL 'LABOUR AND SKILLS SHORTAGES' AND 'TO DO THE JOBS THAT BRITISH WORKERS CANNOT OR WILL NOT DO'?
UK immigration policy has a 2 Tier points-based system for regulating immigration from outside the EEA - there are three admission channels within Tier 2:
resident labour market test route
intra-company transfers
shortage occupation route
SHORTAGES AND SKILLS ARE SLIPPERY CONCEPTS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE AND MEASURE
no universally accepted definition of a labour or skills shortage and no one obvious 'optimal' policy response
shortage - demand for labour exceeds supply at the prevailing wages and employment conditiond
the existence and size of shortages critically depend on the price of labour
'skills' are very vague - can refer to a wide range of competencies and qualifications
'soft skills' are just as important - teamworking skills, problem solving, etc.
employers may find certain qualities desirable because they suggest workers will be compliant, easy to discipline and cooperative
employers play an important role in defining the competencies and attitudes that are 'needed' to do a particular job
WHY SOME EMPLOYERS PREFER MIGRANT WORKERS
'what employers want' is critically influenced by what employers 'think they can get' from the available pools of labour
employers can become increasingly 'picky'
some employers develop a preference for migrant workers based on migrants' perceivedsuperior characteristics and attributes
common claims that migrants have superior 'work ethic' and 'attitude'
some employers may prefer migrant workers because...
they have lower expectations about wages and employment and conditions
the characteristics and restrictions attached to their immigration status
some may be prepared to accept jobs whose skill requirements are significantly below their actual skills and qualifications
employers preference for a 'self-regulating' and 'self-sustaining' labour supply
demand for flexible work force may cause employers to make use of employment agencies to help find suitable workers
ALTERNATIVES TO IMMIGRATION
changing the production process to make it less labour intensive
relocating to countries where labour costs are lower
increasing wages and/or improving working conditions
switching to production of less labour-intensive commodities and services
employing migrant workers
all depends ot relative costs of each of the feasible alternatives
employers' incentives are critically influenced and constrained by the wider institutional and regulatory framework created by public policies