London: A new research has found that over a hundred thousand Britons have been forced out of work because of the arrival of a wave of migrant workers from Eastern Europe, in the past two years.
The study suggests that almost one lakh people have become unemployed, though it may not be an accurate estimate.
The vast bulk of Eastern European workers are employed in shops, hotels, catering and agriculture, all seen as low-skilled work.
The study concludes that Britain experienced a huge economic 'shock' because of an unprecedented flow of workers from Poland and elsewhere in eastern Europe.
The unemployment rate has soared to 5.5 per cent, which is said to be the highest in six years.
The findings from the respected National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) are a serious blow to the British Government, which has repeatedly insisted that there is no link between unemployment and immigration.
The new research concludes that between 60,000 and 90,000 of the rise in joblessness since 2004 could be directly attributed to competition for jobs from foreigners.
That is likely to be a significant under-estimate, because NIESR said its calculations were based on official Government figures that understate the number of foreigners in Britain.
Unemployment in Britain is now rising faster than in any other major European country, even as official figures suggest that nearly 1.7million Britons are jobless.
There has been an increase of 242,000 unemployed people over the last year, the biggest annual rise for more than a decade.
It coincides with Britain's decision to open its doors to a wave of workers from new EU members.
The British Government had earlier predicted that only 13,000 European migrants would arrive for work, but the real figure so far is close to seven lakhs.
For the Tories, shadow immigration minister Damian Green said: "This shows how disingenuous the Treasury have been when they talk about employment levels but fail to talk about unemployment levels, which are affected by immigration. It is vital that we have thoughtful, balanced and considered debate on immigration policy so that it can be of real benefit to this country. The only way that immigration can be of benefit is if it is controlled."
Meanwhile, economists increasingly dispute the Government's argument that there is no link between immigration and unemployment.
According to them, there is increasing evidence that lower-skilled people at the bottom end of the jobs market are, in fact, increasingly affected.
The research shows that there have been significant benefits from influx of foreigners, as well as huge social strains.
It also concludes that after the initial shock, with the resulting surge in unemployment, the unemployment rate will fall back again as the economy adjusts.
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