UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Government responds to review of shortage occupation lists

Friday, 15 May 2009

The UK Government has responded to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)'s recommendations following its review of the shortage occupation lists.

If there is a shortage of resident workers to fill skilled jobs in a certain occupation, that occupation is added to the lists. For occupations on the lists, employers are not required to conduct the resident labour market test. For all other skilled jobs, employers must complete the test before recruiting non-EEA (European Economic Area) workers.

The MAC has recommended that quantity surveyors and managers in construction be removed from the lists in the face of the current economic climate.

The MAC has also recommended a number of other changes:

• Only social workers for children and families are kept on the list; all other social workers should be removed;
• The skill threshold is changed for care assistants and chefs;
• The following jobs are added to the list: orchestral musicians, visual effects and computer animation technicians and ballet dancers; and
• There are additions and removals within some job titles in the healthcare profession.

The Chair of the MAC, Professor David Metcalf, said:

"These latest recommendations take account of the impact of the worldwide recession on the United Kingdom. We have looked critically at the evidence regarding the occupations under review and made recommendations which balance the needs of the UK workforce against those of employers.

It is important to note that some shortages of skilled labour will still exist in a recession. This can be where there is a long-term structural shortage of skilled workers, where workers provide key public services, or in areas such as culture where the United Kingdom needs to maintain global leadership."

The MAC's recommendations are based on evidence and made following the consultation of a wide variety of stakeholders. The lists have three stringent tests: the occupation in question must be sufficiently skilled, there must be a shortage of workers and it must be sensible to fill this shortage with workers from outside the EEA.

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