5% rise in foreign worker numbers

12 April 2012

The number of foreign nationals working in the UK increased by 5% to 1.5 million last year, according to new figures.

The Office for National Statistics said last year probably saw the biggest entry of foreign workers to this country.

The number of foreign people working in the UK topped a million for the first time in 1998.

Last year 195,000 citizens of the eight central and eastern European countries that joined the European Union in 2004 were given permission to work in this country.

The largest number of registrations came from Polish workers, with Lithuanians and Slovakians the next biggest groups.

Industries taking on foreign workers have changed over the last few years from commercial to health and computer sectors in response to skills shortages, the report showed.

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