Attracting talent: Humber case study. Humber Economic Partnership

Aims

The case study investigated the role that migrant workers are playing in the Humberside economy and the contribution they make in ensuring an efficient labour market for local employers.

Methodology

The case study is part of the wider ‘Attracting Talent’ study that examines migration trends and their economic impacts in Yorkshire and Humber and other regions of the UK.

Key issues

The study looked at the number of migrant workers in the Hull economy; the economic participation rate of migrant workers; skills migrant workers have; sectors of employment; the role of migrant workers in filling sectoral gaps and whether migrant workers are getting jobs below their potential skills level.

Conclusions

There has been an overall rise in migrant worker inflows. Economic participation rates vary widely across the sub-region. Construction is a significant employer. Employers value ‘soft’ skills as well as work rate. Migrant labour is plugging gaps in industry labour shortfalls.