There is a much bigger picture to be considered.  The world is overpopulated and we are running out of resources.  We need to learn to live sustainably within our resources, including labour resources.  This whole research is predicated on the notion that we should continue to grow the economy.  Ths is not sustainable.  This country and others must learn to be self sufficient.

Thank you for your comments. You make an interesting point. This research will, however, address a very real concern based on the emerging evidence that many businesses in rural areas have become increasingly reliant on migrant labour to do the work. This research will investigate the extent to which our rural economies are vulnerable to sudden changes in the labour market, in this case caused by a possible slowdown or even reversal of the numbers of migrants filling job vacancies. We share a concern with many others about the potential consequences to rural communities and wish to ensure we are all informed and prepared for what might possibly occur.

Is this another example of work by non economists dabbling in the field of economics.  Migrant labour are essentially there in response to demand.  If the economy can't sustain them, they will go somewhere else. 

More research should be done into how to prevent exploitation of these marginal workers.

 

Thank you for your comments and for raising your concerns. The Economics of Migration project by necessity will draw upon a range of expertise facilitated professionally by the Institute of Public Policy Research (ippr). The forces of supply and demand for labour may not be a new topic for economists but the large scale of migration occurring across Europe is certainly presenting new challenges, not least for rural England. This work aims to improve our knowledge of these trends and labour flows to improve our planning for the future.

Coming from rural New York in the United States, this will be a very interesting study to follow, as our situation seems to mirror what you are facing. Good luck and we look forward to the results.

Thanks for your comment. Some of the findings of the project will be presented at an event on 7 October. We'll upload the presentations as soon as we can after the event.