Immigration newsletter 14 Dec 2005

In the past few weeks, two major immigration destinations - the US and Australia - have publicly begun to comment that their young people are no longer interested in joining the trades. The desirable move these days for most young people is to enter university after school ?€“ not to enter an apprenticeship. Still, both countries need hairdressers, plumbers and electricians, and the trend is becoming worrisome as older people retire from those professions, and younger people are not there to fill the vacancies. Australia, for one has launched a major campaign to attract new workers. The US, on the other hand, is currently debating a new immigration bill that might give illegal immigrants the right to stay and live in the US for a few years, although not permanently. workpermit.com will continue to update you on both countries

One in 10 workers in the UK was born abroad, according to research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies. More than a third of working-age immigrants arrived in the UK during the past decade, according to its Immigrants in the British Labour Market report. The research looked at data from 1979 to 2004 and analysed the type of work immigrants were doing and how easy it was for them to find employment. More than 40% of migrant workers were found to live in London. More than 40% of male immigrants were found to work in the catering, motor and retail sector, compared with just 17% of the UK-born white population.