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It's a funny one. The average Brit was financially better off with all these Eastern Europeans coming in and doing jobs in short supply. Around me in the UK, mo

It's a funny one. The average Brit was financially better off with all these Eastern Europeans coming in and doing jobs in short supply. Around me in the UK, most shops, restaurants, preschools and many more establishments are short-staffed. This is also the real reason why migration numbers are off the charts - the vacuum of business needs sucks people in. And yet the Brits don't seem to want these people. Fine - their country, their right. But instead, free of the yoke of the EU, they got themselves lots of immigrants from far abroad, while doctor and nurse shortages abound. I guess sometimes it's hard to get the thing you want, and not the consequences of it.

anotherhue 2y ago
I think you're conflating the desires of businesses with the desires of people. Every local shop seemed to have a Polish person on the till back then and it was a real culture shock for most. Would they have been worse off if the position went unfilled? Perhaps, but I can also say as a then teenager looking for summer work I lost access to starter jobs.
- rich_sasha 2y ago
  On average, I should have said. In terms of GDP per capita, budget size, etc. But or course, that doesn't mean it was uniformly better, it can't have been.
moomin 2y ago
Honestly I remember those days as some of the best for Britain. People used to complain you couldn't get a plumber or the only plumber was an incompetent scoundrel. All of a sudden you could find some who got the job done, and they spoke Polish. I understand some people didn't like this experience, but I loved it.
mytailorisrich 2y ago
There are no jobs in short supply to justify the level of immigration, this is all manufactured. This is done to keep wages down and to prop up the GDP (while the GDP per capita is actually decreasing, so people are getting poorer). 22% of people 16 to 64 are also "inactive" (i.e. not in work) so there is a massive reserve of unused local workforce [1]. In term of immigration the EU actually faces the same issue, and the people are voting more and more to make it known. This will end badly on both sides if governments don't get a grip. [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68534537 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68534537

anotherhue 2y ago

I think you're conflating the desires of businesses with the desires of people. Every local shop seemed to have a Polish person on the till back then and it was a real culture shock for most. Would they have been worse off if the position went unfilled? Perhaps, but I can also say as a then teenager looking for summer work I lost access to starter jobs.

rich_sasha 2y ago
On average, I should have said. In terms of GDP per capita, budget size, etc. But or course, that doesn't mean it was uniformly better, it can't have been.

moomin 2y ago

Honestly I remember those days as some of the best for Britain. People used to complain you couldn't get a plumber or the only plumber was an incompetent scoundrel. All of a sudden you could find some who got the job done, and they spoke Polish. I understand some people didn't like this experience, but I loved it.

mytailorisrich 2y ago

There are no jobs in short supply to justify the level of immigration, this is all manufactured. This is done to keep wages down and to prop up the GDP (while the GDP per capita is actually decreasing, so people are getting poorer). 22% of people 16 to 64 are also "inactive" (i.e. not in work) so there is a massive reserve of unused local workforce [1]. In term of immigration the EU actually faces the same issue, and the people are voting more and more to make it known. This will end badly on both sides if governments don't get a grip. [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68534537 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68534537