IT jobs 'being lost to foreigners'

More than 35,000 IT workers from outside the EU were granted work permits in 2008 despite the economic downturn, it was revealed.
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The influx of foreign workers has led to thousands of UK software engineers and systems analysts being laid off, according to the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

APSCo said data obtained from the Home Office under the Freedom of Information Act showed 35,430 non-EU IT workers were granted work permits in 2008.

The figure is down 8% from a high point of 38,450 in 2007. But the number of foreign IT workers who entered the country was three times as many as during the dot com boom. In 2000, 12,726 work permits were granted.

APSCo said the Government should force companies to advertise vacancies in the UK before being allowed to transfer workers from overseas offices.

Chief executive Ann Swain said: "It seems crazy that with the economy in a severe downturn and thousands of IT workers having already lost their jobs we are still bringing three times as many foreign IT workers to the UK than during the dot com boom when we had a chronic skills shortage.

"The economic slowdown and supposedly 'tougher' new points-based immigration system seem to have had very little effect on slowing the influx of foreign IT staff into the UK.

"A few years ago this may have been overlooked, but with IT jobs much scarcer, this is now a contentious issue."

She said 80% of non-EU IT workers coming to the UK were on intra-company transfers, adding: "Most of these foreign IT workers are software engineers and systems analysts. They are not coming here to answer phones on help desks, but are taking highly skilled and well paid jobs."

A UK Border Agency spokesman said: "We introduced our flexible points based system to allow the British government to manage the number of people coming to the UK from outside Europe, adjusting the bar to ensure that the right people and the people we need can come. We want the UK to remain open to business and an attractive place for multinational businesses."

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Source：The Press Association

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