Labour and migration

Trains at a railway station

Description

Research on labour and migration is essential as it provides critical insights into how regulatory changes, such as Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, affect workforce mobility and the availability of migrant labour across key sectors like hospitality, warehousing, social care, and food manufacturing.

It also sheds light on the challenges faced by migrant workers, including precarious working conditions and limited access to labour protections. It highlights the need for policies that promote social integration and economic inclusion.

Additionally, by examining the barriers to employment and entrepreneurship for migrants, research contributes to the development of more inclusive policies and practices that support the well-being and economic participation of migrants.

Research within Leeds University Business School explores migration through multiple labour dimensions - from MNEs using international suppliers with heavily migrant workforces, to migrant entrepreneurs starting their own businesses, to skill matching for migrant workers, to understanding how migrant populations feed into and evolve workplaces.

Researchers

Dr Gabriella Alberti - Associate Professor in Work and Employment Relations
Dr Zinovijus Ciupijus – Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Employment Relations
Dr Jo Cutter – Lecturer in Work and Employment Relations
Dr Marketa Dolezalova – Research Fellow in Labour Migration
Professor Christopher Forde – Professor of Employment Studies
Professor Aida Hajro – Chair in International Business a
Dr Maria Ilieva – Lecturer in International Business
Dr Peter Howley – Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science
Dr Deema Refai – Associate Professor in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Dr Xue Wan – Lecturer in Finance
Professor Yingqi Wei – Chair in International Business
Professor Nick Williams – Professor of Entrepreneurship
Dr Abbie Winton – Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Research projects

Outputs

Book:

"The Politics of Migrant Labour: Exit, Voice, and Social Reproduction", https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-politics-of-migrant-labour

Reports:

"Employers’ post-Brexit workforce strategies and their use of migrant workers - Findings from the Labour Mobility in Transition (LIMITS) survey of employers.", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/332/employers-post-brexit-workforce-strategies-and-their-use-of-migrant-workers

“A Better Future – Understanding Refugee Entrepreneurship”, https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-projects/1778/in-quest-for-a-better-future-future-engagement-opportunities-of-syrian-refugees-in-the-uk

"How is the End of Free Movement Affecting the Low-wage Labour Force in the UK?”, https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/reports/how-is-the-end-of-free-movement-affecting-the-low-wage-labour-force-in-the-uk/

“Essential, yet invisible: working conditions of Amazon delivery workers during COVID-19 and beyond” https://emedien.arbeiterkammer.at/viewer/image/AC16365451/64/LOG_0039/

Policy:

"Evidence submitted to the Public Accounts Committee", https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/112101/pdf/

“Responsible migration management from the business perspective: the case of human value chains”, https://www.knomad.org/sites/default/files/publication-doc/knomad_policy_brief_24_responsible_migration_management_from_the_business_perspective_milda_zilinskaite_and_aida_hajro_jan_24_1.pdf

Radio and TV:

"Wake up to Money", https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0020112 Segment starts at 31.55 – 47.00. June 2024
OKTO, https://www.okto.tv/de/oktothek/episode/65704b1a9c647 December 2023

Videos:

“Migrant Women in Business – A focus on West Yorkshire”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_q7INAkdj4
“Migration Business Current Issues and Future Trends”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISOJhOsiRI

Blog posts and news articles:

“How are employers in warehousing and food manufacturing dealing with ongoing workforce pressures?” https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/2264/how-are-employers-in-warehousing-and-food-manufacturing-dealing-with-ongoing-workforce-pressures
"The contested politics of migration as a solution to labour shortages", https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-contested-politics-of-migration-as-a-solution-to-labour-shortages/
"The end of free movement and the low wage labour force in the UK", https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/news-and-events/blog/the-end-of-free-movement-and-the-low-wage-labour-force-in-the-uk
"Employers’ responses to the end of free movement: the rhetoric and realities of automation", https://digit-research.org/blog_article/employers-responses-to-the-end-of-free-movement-rhetoric-and-realities-of-automation/
"From a health crisis to a labour crisis? Omicron, Brexit and labour shortages", https://cericleeds.wordpress.com/2022/01/13/from-a-health-crisis-to-a-labour-crisis-omicron-brexit-and-labour-shortages/
"UK post-Brexit migration and pandemic effects: how unexpected was the current shortage crisis?", https://cericleeds.wordpress.com/2021/08/16/uk-post-brexit-migration-and-pandemic-effects-how-unexpected-was-the-current-shortage-crisis/
"Number of EU citizens moving to UK plunges post-Brexit – report", https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/15/number-eu-citizens-moving-to-uk-plunged-post-brexit-report
"Migration and return: understanding returnee entrepreneurship", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/1426/migration-and-return-understanding-returnee-entrepreneurship
"How immigration can make some UK-born residents feel worse off even if they aren’t new research", https://theconversation.com/how-immigration-can-make-some-uk-born-residents-feel-worse-off-even-if-they-arent-new-research-122681
"Understanding refugee entrepreneurship", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/1850/understanding-refugee-entrepreneurship
"Measuring the impact of immigration on subjective well-being", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/1860/measuring-the-impact-of-immigration-on-subjective-well-being
"Migration systems in transition: is changing regulation during the pandemic increasing risks for migrants?", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/1945/migration-systems-in-transition-is-changing-regulation-during-the-pandemic-increasing-risks-for-migrants
"The effect forced migration has on returnee entrepreneurs", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/1992/the-effect-forced-migration-has-on-returnee-entrepreneurs
"Why the English and British don’t see eye to eye when it comes to immigration??", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/2069/why-the-english-and-british-don-t-see-eye-to-eye-when-it-comes-to-immigration
"Migrant women in business – a focus on West Yorkshire", https://business.leeds.ac.uk/dir-record/research-blog/2236/migrant-women-in-business-a-focus-on-west-yorkshire
“Fixing the global skills gap: Here's why firms need to get migrant management right” https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/11/global-race-for-labour-why-companies-must-get-migrant-management-right/
“Claiming a seat at the table – Migration from a Business Perspective”
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/peoplemove/claiming-seat-table-migration-business-perspective
“Changing the way we see refugees and their economic integration”, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/refugees-economic-integration /
“Reimagining refugees: the business perspective”, https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/peoplemove/reimagining-refugees-business-perspective
“How Can Your Company Nurture and Retain Migrant Employees?”, https://bthechange.com/how-can-your-company-nurture-and-retain-migrant-employees-2948e431c7ae

Podcasts:

“The liminal integration of Syrian refugees”, Episode 88, https://entrepreneurship-erd.com/podcast/page/3/
"Filipino migrant workers in Malaysia: trajectories of undocumented labour", https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SDN4997ApxyQ3N5DYu0n1?si=xwxYShGoQRKVr2OMXR4cuw
"Introducing the Labour Mobility in Transition project", https://open.spotify.com/episode/5J8AInLNhsHkOB7FrLWzTe?si=dfuBtE31TNum3FRa2jUwnA
"How recent changes to the immigration system have affected the Yorkshire and the Humber workforce", https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EPuKm5ZRyUggymUaEwcRZ?si=O_Zu-uHXT16zK-O321OTxA
"The barriers migrants face when entering the UK workforce", https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Gian6jGozROMbDZYxE58K?si=HFEj7NUZSKaU6WZZPZuRAw
“Labour shortages, automation, and upskilling in UK Food and Drink manufacturing”, Research and Innovation Podcast, Gabriella Alberti, Jo Cutter, Caroline Keohane and Tanya Barringer, June 2024 open.spotify.com/episode/1fqQK0rEEkhVr3dAeKqQbQ?si=oXXLI0bhRzGQP5depOE3xQ
“Migration and Business School Teaching”, Cloud Reachers, Aida Hajro, 2022 soundcloud.com/user-705936595/s04e05-migration-and-business-school-teaching-with-aida-hajro-et-al

Contact

If you would like to get in touch about any of the above research on labour and migration, contact research.lubs@leeds.ac.uk.