CSJ Report Finds Migrants Filled 80% of New UK Jobs

The Centre for Social Justice released the State of Dependency report finding that foreign nationals filled 80% of new jobs created in the United Kingdom between 2014 and the end of 2025. Of the 3.7 million jobs added to payrolls, approximately 2.5 million were filled by non-EU migrants and 408,000 by EU nationals, while British citizens accounted for only 734,000 positions.

Chaired by former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, the report argues that successive governments relied on low-skilled migrant labor while millions of Britons remained on welfare. Since 2020, non-EU payroll employment rose by 2.1 million, while out-of-work benefit claimants increased by 2.3 million. This trend added £21 billion to taxpayer costs, with spending on working-age benefits projected to reach £136.1 billion in 2026-27.

The findings link these trends to immigration liberalizations under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who reportedly cited Treasury advice to use human quantitative easing to lower inflation. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice described the report as a damning indictment of previous governments. Tice pledged that his party would prohibit foreign nationals from receiving welfare benefits and scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain status to reduce public spending.