The Incidence of worklessness among new immigrants in England

This paper investigates the incidence of worklessness among recent immigrants in England using data from the Labour Force Survey and logistic multilevel modelling. The model takes into account individual and contextual factors impacting upon the risk of worklessness of immigrants from ‘established’ and ‘new’ immigrant groups. The results suggest that the disadvantage of non-white immigrants in England persists, with recent immigrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan found to have higher odds of worklessness than other immigrants. Non-white immigrants originating in countries outside the Commonwealth are found to be nearly as disadvantaged in the labour market. Conversely, immigrants from the EU Accession countries are found to be less likely to be workless compared to other immigrant groups. The results also suggest that contextual factors influence the incidence of worklessness among new immigrants with those living in the most deprived areas or in ethically dense areas facing a higher risk of worklessness.