British businesses support influx of immigrants

427,000 legal immigrants have arrived from Eastern Europe in the past two years*, and British businesses are reaping the rewards.

Research which was undertaken for the Tenon Forum shows that British businesses employing immigrant workers benefit from improved company culture and the East Europeans’ strong work ethos.

Business sectors that employ foreign workers were resoundingly positive about doing so. Different business sectors highlighted different benefits or reasons for employing immigrants. Agricultural, mining, and fishing industries, manufacturing, and financial and business services have the highest levels of foreign employees.

74% of the UK's financial and business service organisations that employ foreigners cited company culture as a reason for their employment, while three quarters in agriculture, mining and fishing businesses employing immigrants said that they did so because local skills were sorely lacking in Britain.

Across the UK and in all business sectors, 61 per cent of business owners with an immigrant workforce think having their ranks filled with international workers is good for company culture and almost half believe that immigrant workers have a stronger work ethos.

Philip Hudson, the National Farmers’ Union’s Chief Horticultural Adviser, said. "UK agriculture has been employing immigrant workers for many years because they know that immigrants are hard working, motivated and reliable. In many cases, workers return to the same business year after year.

"Without these people many agricultural businesses could not operate and there would be less British food on supermarket shelves so it’s unsurprising that the research reflects the immigrant workers’ value."

The bi-annual research, conducted by GfK NOP on Tenon’s behalf, questioned managing directors, financial directors and senior directors of 500 small and medium-sized businesses for analysis by the Tenon Forum, an independent think-tank of entrepreneurs.

Chris Monnington, Director of Tenon Rural Services, added, "It makes sense for Britain’s businesses to welcome immigrants. As SME owner-mangers bemoan the quality of UK school leavers who struggle with basic literacy, the skills offered by immigrants are a welcome respite. It’s also refreshing when you see a work ethos where nothing is taken for granted and there’s a willingness to fight for success – a level of competitiveness that UK schools seem to be stepping back from rather than encouraging.

"Eastern Europe is predominantly rural so many of the workers coming over are steeped in farming skills that are lacking in urban-centric UK. Farmers have a particularly hard time recruiting from domestic resources and they are consequently some of the greatest beneficiaries of the influx.

"It’s going to be interesting to watch the dynamics of the UK’s economy change over the next few years. Many immigrants are harbouring the ‘he who dares’ attitude and there’s every possibility that Poles and Eastern Europeans are going to swiftly fill the ranks and potentially lead the next generation of the UK’s entrepreneurs."

* Figures released by the Home Office (22/08/2006)