Working Paper 60: Migrant employment in low-skill work

Key information

Publication type: General

Publication date: Tuesday 11 March 2014

In London four out of every 10 employed residents were born overseas (three outside the EEA (European Economic Area), one within the EEA), compared to only one out of every 10 employed residents in the rest of the UK.
In London, 38 per cent (1.4 million) of people employed work in low-skilled occupations, and just under half of these were non-UK-born. However, for both UK and non-UK-born Londoners working in low-skilled occupations, around a quarter had degree level qualifications. In contrast, in the rest of the UK, only a fifth of the non-UK-born population employed in low-skilled occupations had degree level qualifications, and this was double the share for UK-born.
Looking at low-skilled occupations in more detail, in London over six out of every 10 people employed in ‘elementary occupations’ were born overseas. In particular, in London, over 70 per cent of those employed as waiters, waitresses, employed in elementary construction and employed as cleaners are non-UK-born.