According to a new report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), foreigners accounted for 80% of new jobs created in the UK over the past decade, while millions of British citizens continued to claim unemployment benefits.

The think tank’s findings indicate that among the 3.7 million new jobs added between 2014 and the end of 2025, only 734,000 were filled by UK nationals. EU nationals took on 408,000 new positions, while migrants from other regions filled approximately 2.5 million roles.

"Employers have gained access to an unprecedented pool of overseas labour, while taxpayers bear the rising cost of domestic unemployment," the report states.

These findings form part of a major inquiry led by Ian Duncan Smith, former UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The report argues that successive governments have relied heavily on low-skilled migrant labour, leaving millions of British workers excluded from the formal economy.

Since 2020, the number of non-EU nationals in employment has increased by 2.1 million, while the number receiving unemployment benefits has risen by 2.3 million. Most of the job growth has occurred in healthcare and social care, administrative services, hospitality, and retail.

"Worsening the situation, ministers have repeatedly resorted to migration as an easy fix rather than delivering better solutions for communities left behind," Smith urged coordinated reform across welfare, immigration, and regional development policies.

According to CSJ data, around 6.7 million people in England, Wales, and Scotland currently receive at least one form of unemployment benefit—equivalent to one in six working-age individuals. The number of applicants exempted from requirements to seek or prepare for work has surged by nearly 1.7 million since 2019.

Projected spending on in-work benefits for the 2026–27 fiscal year is expected to reach £13.6 billion (US$18.1 billion).

The report was released amid growing political pressure over immigration. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has repeatedly accused successive governments of favouring immigrants and minority groups over white working-class Britons. He has called for tighter border controls and condemned what he describes as a "two-tier" system of inequality.

The UK continues to face challenges in deterring illegal crossings of the English Channel. According to Home Office figures, approximately 33,374 people arrived by small boat in the year ending June 2026—a 23% decline from the previous year. These crossings accounted for 88% of those detected entering the country illegally.

Public concern remains widespread. A YouGov survey conducted in August found that 69% of respondents believe immigration levels over the past decade have been too high, with 43% stating it has significantly harmed the country—an increase of 10 percentage points from 33% in 2016.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1879076696908807/

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