East of England Development Agency re-affirms importance of skilled migrant workers to the region
Released 01 April 2008 | Released by Nicholas Benham
In response to today's published report on the economic impact of migrant workers by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has re-affirmed the importance of skilled migrant workers to the East of England.
Mark Allison, migrant workers manager at EEDA, said:
"Our research has shown that the East of England continues to benefit from recruiting skilled migrant workers from overseas. Without these workers, this region's economy would suffer, as could the delivery of many public services which benefit from migrant's skills. Businesses in the East of England echo this message - they need migrant workers and the skills that they bring to ensure that they continue to compete locally, nationally and globally. We would have concerns over a total cap on inward migration, as it is vital the region is able to attract skilled workers in order to avoid businesses moving offshore to where the labour is available."
EEDA will be commissioning a study later this year to determine the economic risk associated with failing to maintain and attract sufficient migrant workers with the right skills to the region.
Mark added:
"The findings of our research should complement today's call for a greater evidence-base surrounding policy decisions on migrant workers."
