Trends in A8 migration to the UK during the recession

Abstract

A substantial proportion of contemporary migration flows to the UK are made by nationals from countries which have recently joined the EU. The nature of A8 migration during the recession is examined in this paper, mainly using data from the Worker Registration Scheme. The recession has seen a decline in new A8 migrants entering the UK labour market, but the decline has been sectorally uneven, with demand for migrant labour being most persistent in the agricultural sector, raising questions about why this part of the UK economy is so different.