A call by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith for businesses to recruit jobless British youths rather than migrant workers is impractical and probably illegal, experts tell Channel 4 News.
Mr Duncan Smith has urged businesses to help the Government reduce high youth unemployment by giving jobs to unemployed Britons rather than recruiting labour from abroad.
From 1997-2010 more than half of the rise in employment in the UK was accounted for by foreign nationals, Mr Duncan Smith said earlier on Friday.
His comments appear to echo the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s promise of “British jobs for British workers”.
Speaking in Madrid, Mr Duncan Smith, who is overhauling the UK’s welfare system, said the Government’s drive to cut unemployment depends not only on welfare reform and training but also on getting immigration under control so that British workers do not face intense competition for jobs from migrants.
“As a result of the last Government’s slack attitude to immigration it has become easy – and all too commonplace – for businesses to look abroad for the workers they need,” Mr Smith said.
The Coalition Government had introduced a quota system to limit the number of immigrant from outside the European Union entering Britain.
“We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain, enabling us to make a realistic promise to our young school leavers.” Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith
Mr Duncan Smith added: “We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain, enabling us to make a realistic promise to our young school leavers.”
But the Minister’s plea has received a cool reception from business groups and legal experts, who question whether favouring British youths when hiring is desirable or legal.
Ian Macdonald, a QC specialising in immigration, told Channel 4 News: “If there are available foreign workers who have a complete right to work in the UK and employers choose less qualified British workers that would clearly be discrimination under the Equality Act.”
Business leaders welcomed the Government plans to reduce youth unemployment – currently about 19 per cent – but said that employers should pick the right person for the job regardless of their nationality.
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Neil Carberry, Director for Employment Policy at the employers’ group CBI, said: “Tackling unemployment is a challenge for everyone, and businesses want to give young British people a chance. Employers should choose the best person for the job. The challenge is to ensure that more young Britons are in a position to be the best candidate.
“The Government’s focus should be on boosting private sector growth, which will deliver more job opportunities, and reforming our welfare and skills systems to make sure our young people are ready for work.”
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Other experts said that UK employers sometimes prefer to recruit foreign workers because they are better educated and have better skills than many UK youths.
The UK ranked 17th out of 30 countries when judged by the proportion of workers with low skills or no qualifications, according to a study published in 2008 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
“There is domestic and international competition in the job market,” said Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He said the government proposal was not “feasible”.