Poland

• UK, Ireland and Sweden are the only 3 countries in the EU to not restrict migration from the A8 countries.
• Polish workers earn 4-5x more pay in the UK
• unemployment rate was 18% in 2005

  • youth unemployment rate 40%
  • highest unemployment rate in 27 nations of OECD
• UK’s unemployment is only 5.1%

  • only requires semi skilled labour
  • significant skill shortage
• large number of job vacancies in the uk

  • 2007 to 2008 increased by 600,000
• GDP in Poland is $12,000

  GDP in UK £30,000
• £2.54 billion contributed to UK economy my Eastern European immigrants
• 80% of new migrants are working people

  • offsets uk’s ageing population
  • national insurance contribution would have to be much higher if immigration was lowe
• Bank of England stated migration had helped to prevent rapid rise is oil prices

  • interest rates remained low
• New immigrants are stereotypically hard working and enthusiastic
• some polish migrants expoited by employers

  • already paid minimum wage
  • deductions for accommodation and travel are made
• large scale migration into areas that haven’t yet experiended migration

  • creates tensions and misunderstandings
  • anti polish graffiti and abuse
• pressure on resources due to the increase in population
• economy impacted as the money made is often sent home and not put back into the UK economy to regenerated
• money being sent back home improves the polish economy
• decreases pressure on resources and jobs

  • as the unemployment rate decreases, less people are having to live off of benefits
• migrants return home with new skills

  • can be applies to developing Poland
• unemployment rate increases if all workers move away
• smaller work force causes the GDP to decrease as the country doesn’t produce much
• demographic imbalance as most people left are women.